The Jack, The Queen and Their Ace of Hearts
by CheddarFetta
Summary: It's no secret that Lula always had feelings for Jack, but when personal scars begin to surface and impact their relationship, it's up to him to keep them together. What other twists and turns will arise on the ride for these two Horsemen? Jack x Lula
1. Truth or Dare

**Hello! Welcome to my new story. I have written stories for other fandoms, but this is my very 'Now You See Me' story. This one will be predominantly based on Jack & Lula, but it does include the other boys, especially a little further on in the story, I'm just getting a feel for writing as those two first.**

 **I've written the first couple of chapters so far and have planned for there to be about 13 chapters at this stage, with the potential for more, just depending on the response from you guys.**

 **Now, onto the chapter, I really hope you enjoy it! Don't forget to favourite and follow to be alerted on new chapters.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE - Truth or Dare**

It was a quiet night at the Horsemen's current share house in Brisbane. So far, this is their fourth move in the eleven months since the spectacular New Years Eve Finale on the Thames. Their current spot in Brisbane had followed their hideouts in Poland, Thailand and Canada. Even though they hadn't had any close shaves, Dylan had insisted on the frequent moves, not knowing exactly _how many_ steps ahead they still were of the authorities.

In that time, over the last eleven months, not much had happened and not much had changed.

Atlas became a bit nerdier, Merritt became a bit less than abysmal at sleight-of-hand work, Dylan became a bit less secretive as more and more information had been exposed on The Eye, while Lula and Jack became a bit cuter than they already had been.

Ever since their very public New Years kiss, things had been on-like-Donkey-Kong for the couple. However, although the two had become quite solid, their relationship hadn't necessarily gone very far, nor had it progressed very much over the course of almost a year.

#

"Truth" Lula decides, her taste-buds still recovering from the scoop of Vegemite her boyfriend had commanded her to shovel down as her last dare.

"Truth... Okay" Jack says to himself, assessing what the perfect question to ask Lula next is, what else he wants to know about the girl he knows better than anyone. "Kids... Do you want kids?"

Lula takes a gulp of surprise at the sudden change of course in this game of truth or dare.

"Are we having _this_ talk now?" Lula asks, becoming tenser from where she is lying against Jack's side on the lounge that they are cuddling on.

Although she sighs after her passing comment, Lula doesn't wait for Jack to answer her question before she starts to answer his.

"Um, well I don't know. Maybe... I haven't sat down at given it tremendous thought, to be quite honest. What about you?"

"Well, yeah... Yeah I think I'd like kids" Jacks tries to say coyly. Although Lula can't see the grin on his face as he thinks about the idea, she can tell that there is no ' _think'_ about it for the card sleight.

The two fall to a silence as Lula continues to think about the one question she'd been posed just minutes earlier, which apparently Jack has continued to ponder over too when he eventually presses a kiss to Lula's hair, whispering in her ear.

"You know, I think you would be a great mother one day."

A great mother... _A great mother_? Do you think that a great mother would stay with a drunken, abusive husband with a child? Would a great mother stab not just anyone in the neck, but her child's own father right in front of them?

What does Lula know about a great mother?

This thought stews within her mind for a few minutes before she presses a kiss to Jack's cheek, while shuffling away from him on the couch.

"I'll be back in a few minutes, babe. My legs are cramping up, I'm just going for a quick walk."

Jack just nods as Lula walks out of the room, both opening and shutting the front door to the share house within a matter of seconds.

He didn't say anything, but Jack can't help but question the curious timing of Lula's sudden 'walk'. He hadn't touched a nerve had he? All he knew was that he could sense that she was nowhere near as enthusiastic as he was.

Then again, it was just a general discussion... It wasn't even specific to _them_. He hadn't told her that by this time next year he demands to be a father. The conversation hadn't even meant that they had committed to the idea of having kids together. It was _just_ a discussion...

#

After she returned from her 'walk' almost an hour later, the night came to abrupt close and Lula announced that she was going to bed. She wasn't frosty or cold towards Jack, but something was _definitely_ up.

The following morning, Atlas was reading the newspaper at the dining table, while Merritt and Jack were 'unloading the dishwasher' (occasionally putting a new dishes away in between their tea towel fights, which the card sleight dominated at).

"Morning boys" Dylan announces as he walks into the large living space of the home. "Is Lula up yet?"

Merritt and Daniel share a look, only just now realising the fact that they had noticed whether or not the woman of the house was up and about yet.

"Jack?"

Looking up to his name being summoned, Jack flicks the tea towel on the bench and crosses his arms in front of himself, his mood plummeting instantly.

"Yeah, she's up but I'm not too sure what she's doing."

"Is there trouble in paradise? What have you done _now_?" Merritt questions, not needing any special mentalist abilities to deduce the connection to the sudden change in the younger man's disposition.

Jack sighs, rubbing a hand in his face as he is once again forced to revisit the game of truth or dare last night, along with its instant ramifications.

"Don't tell her I told you this, but last night we were throwing around some truth or dares... Anyway, I mentioned kids and then things went down like a lead balloon."

" _Kids_? Is there something that you two aren't telling us, Wilder?"

Jack lets out a little exasperated half-laugh at his friend's comment.

"It's nothing like that, Lula's not pregnant. Just the topic got brought up and things have been a bit weird ever since..."

"She's probably just having a moody moment" Atlas muses, looking up from the article that he was three quarters through before the discussion broke out. He knows well about her moody moments since her last one a few weeks back was taken out on him for throwing her 'unfinished' bag of chips away (there were just a few crumbs left) when he was cleaning up the kitchen.

"Give her a few hours, she'll find something else to obsess about and it'll be like it _never_ happened..."

Here's hoping, right?

* * *

 **Well there we have the first chapter! I really hope that you all enjoy it and I really hope that there's some more Jack x Lula fans out there. I just fell in love with this pairing from the first time I saw NYSM 2 and this is my way of expressing my obsession!**

 **Please leave a comment to let me know what you thought - it's the best way to inspire me to write more.**

 **Next chapter: The fallout between Jack and Lula continues, leading Jack to confide in Dylan.**


	2. The Fallout

**CHAPTER TWO - The Fallout**

A week passed after the game of truth or dare that had resulted in Jack's harmless question.

However, unlike the harmless game and the harmless question that had been raised, the impact on the only couple within the Horsemen has been quite the _opposite_ of harmless.

Not only had nothing been the same between Lula, Jack and their relationship since, but the tension had also had a flow-on effect to their fellow Horsemen who didn't quite know how together the couple was anymore.

That evening as they sat around the large wooden dining table at their hideout in Brisbane, the slightly uncomfortable air was not enough to change much between the Horsemen but it was enough to be felt, _just a bit_ , by every member.

"So, tomorrow I was thinking that we could have a Monopoly championship challenge?" Jack suggests to the fellow members around him.

Dylan confirms that he'll take part, Danny nods at the question and Merritt says that not only would he be in on the challenge, he'd been championing the championship.

"Lula?" Jack asks to the only remaining person left to answer. She looks like she'd been daydreaming until her name snaps her back into the present.

"Uh, yeah okay. I'll join in."

After tomorrow's challenge has been settled, the other boys continue with teasing Atlas, while Jack's attention and focus turns completely to just watching Lula closely with concern.

"Are you okay?" he whispers to his distant girlfriend as the others chatter distractedly around them. Under the table, Jack tries to grasp and squeeze Lula's hand before she shifts away from him at the first touch.

After the rejection, Jack pulls his hand away and his brow furrows a little more tightly.

"Lula, can we talk alone for a minute?"

Rather than knocking him back again, Lula nods subtly to Jack who instantly stands up from his seat at the table, announcing to their friends that the two of them will be back in a moment.

Lula follows his lead and similarly stands up from the table, following Jack outside to the balcony of their current hide out.

Merritt initially bellows out to the couple, telling them not to do anything that he wouldn't do (which isn't much), jovially. However, as Jack waits for his girlfriend to pass through the sliding door that he had opened for her, he hears something else the mentalist says, just as he's closing the door behind them.

"Hopefully this is those two sorting things out once and for all."

#

Lula had already taken a seat on the outdoor seating, with her leg pulled up and tucked under her. Meanwhile, as he walks outside, Jack begins to approach the seating before pausing.

"Mind if I sit?"

"Go ahead."

Normally, under **no** circumstance would Jack ever feel the need to ask his girlfriend to share a seat with her. In fact, normally he'd either sit down all over her, or sit on her lap and squash her playfully before taking the seat beside her. However, things aren't 'normal' and he doesn't want to make matters worse by taking anymore wrong steps in his relationship, so, he just sits down next to her and places his hands in his lap.

"Lula. What's up? Are you okay? I'm worried about you..."

"I'm okay" is the one and only comment she makes in response, giving Jack a quick glance which does _nothing_ to convince him.

Instead, Jack just frowns, watching her closely and intently. He knows something is up, he can tell. But, since she hasn't approached him to talk about it at all over the week just been and since she has denied him every time he's tried to dig deeper and get closer to the truth, he has to force the topic.

"Really...? I don't believe that. Even the week that Henley left us, Atlas was in a more light-hearted and upbeat mood than you have been for the past week, and that's _really_ saying something."

A small smile of amusement flits across Lula's lips at Jack's exaggerated comment, before he continues to speak.

"Where's our Lula gone? Our upbeat, feisty girl? Where's _my_ Lula gone? I love you and whatever's going on, you can talk to me..."

With her small smile now erased from her face completely, Lula simply looks at Jack with a sigh. She doesn't know what to tell him and she doesn't know where to start.

Finally, Jack asks her the question that's been on his mind ever since the day when things had started to change between them; ever since the moment that he's beginning to wish that he could now erase.

"Lula? I have to ask... Is this all about the truth or dare thing? The kids question? Listen, I didn't mean for you to feel pressured if that's what this is about. It's not an expectation; it's only something that I thought I'd ask you about. It was really _only_ a question."

With a sigh as she shuffles around on the love-seat uncomfortably, Lula is clearly growing more agitated again and Jack is convinced that he's hit the nail on the head as to what's been bothering his girlfriend.

"Jack, can we please not bring this up again? Sorry, but now is just not a great time. I don't really feel like talking. I'm going inside."

As she begins to fidget uncomfortably and stand up from her seat on the lounge, Jack just sighs at his failed attempt to reach out to Lula; all the while feeling the space between them growing wider and wider...

#

That evening and long after Lula had gone to bed, Jack was sitting on a stool at the kitchen bench, drinking a scotch slowly and quietly on his own.

Consumed by his thoughts in the dark, Jack doesn't notice that he has company at this late hour until he sees someone take the seat beside him out of the corner of his eye.

"What are you still doing up?" Dylan asks Jack as he watches the younger man beside him, who's looking older than his years with his grim and grey demeanour at present.

"I could ask you the same thing."

A small smile passes across the leader's face, nodding at the quick remark. So, he moves on and asks Jack the next question.

"How are you doing? Have you managed to work things out with Lula yet? What's going on with you guys?"

With his hand holding his glass of scotch raised in the air between the bench and his mouth, Jack looks over Dylan analytically. He has been looking for some advice, some third party that might just be able to see _exactly_ what is going on with him and his girlfriend and he has been searching for what will fix the issue perfectly.

Typically, he tends to go to Merritt for advice he needs, viewing him almost as an older brother. However, Merritt was no use at all for relationships any longer than a fling. He didn't really want Danny's advice seeing how well things worked out for him and Henley. So, looking Dylan up and down, he decides on the spot that he just may have the advice he needs. He always has been the father-figure for the Horsemen...

"I don't know, Dylan. I don't know... It's not like we had a fight. It's not like either of us has done anything wrong... It;s like we're just drifting apart, but I think I started it all."

Dylan watches Jack speak, pouring all of his attention on him as he discusses the issues that are quite clearly eating at him.

"I think I started it by bringing the topic of kids up. It's not like I told her or demanded that I want to have a baby in the near future, it really was just a topic of conversation, but nothing's been the same since. I keep kicking myself for bringing it up for no reason. What if I've stuffed things with her completely all from one question?"

"Jack, you're in a mature relationship and you've been together for, what, almost a year? That's a natural conversation that you and Lula would need to have at some point in time soon, if you have the hope of a future with her."

Jack nods at the older man's advice as he takes a mouthful of scotch before responding.

"I guess... Maybe it's not so much the topic of kids, but maybe it made her realise something she doesn't know how to tell me. Maybe she doesn't want kids or, hell, maybe it's made her realise that she wants kids... but not with me. She just doesn't know how to break up with me."

Dylan grimaces at the other man's latest hypothesis; he's already seen what impact a fallout within the Horsemen has and he's not keen to see it again. He really thought that Jack and Lula were a good pairing, in it for the long haul.

"I hope not, Jack" Dylan says honestly, clasping a hand on the shoulder of the man beside him supportively.

"I know, me too, but I can tell that my relationship with Lula is heading backwards, and I have no idea what to do about it... What if this is it? What if I've lost her, Dylan?"

* * *

 **Aww, our babies! Please leave me a comment to let me know what you thought and also what you'd like to see from this story. I love reading what you all have to say.**

 **Also, thanks to everyone who supported the first chapter in one way or another.**

 **Next chapter: It's make-or-break time for Jack and Lula when they reach the decision making crossroads. Will she finally let Jack in?**


	3. Fractured

**CHAPTER THREE - FRACTURED**

The following morning, Lula was up well before Jack. By the time that he entered the living area he found her on the couch channel surfing erratically between watching the morning news and reruns of last night's reality TV programs.

"Good morning" Jack greets neutrally, taking a seat on the lounge beside her.

"Hi" Lula responds with a small smile.

So far the fractured couple is off to a better start today. However, Jack knows he has to confront the elephant in the room and determine whether or not Lula wants them to stay together, whether they still have a chance and whether Jack should be fighting as hard as he can to keep them together...

"Lula... We really need to talk. I know things have been odd between us since last week, since that game of truth or dare. I don't know exactly what it was that triggered it or why, but I know it obviously had something to do with the kid question."

Looking up at him, having turned off her TV program, Lula sighs and says his name under her breath, her mood souring as she makes it clear that she doesn't want to talk about it once again.

"Not again. Please just drop it. Everything's _fine_..."

At this denial, and certainly not the first, Jack finally snaps. All his stress of trying to keep their relationship together and all the stress of knowing where they are at with each other finally gets to Jack, breaking him.

"LULA! Lula, I love you! But, I can't do this anymore. I have been trying and I have been fighting as hard as I can for you, but I don't know anymore... We're going backwards and I have no idea how to stop it and you have no interest in helping!"

As Jack reaches his breaking point, Lula reaches her own breaking point, too...

The sleight-of-hand magicians stands up from the couch and runs his hands through his hair as he begins pacing around the room. At first he doesn't notice the tears that have instantaneously pooled in Lula's eyes.

As he lets out a long sigh, he grabs the door handle, ready to flee both the house and his drowning relationship, before stopping on the spot as he hears a small whimper, followed by a whisper: "I'm so sorry, Jack..."

Hearing Lula's apology stops Jack in his tracks as he turns to face her, instead of the door he is about to walk out. The second he spots her tear-filled eyes, he darts to be by her side on the lounge next to her.

"I'm so, so sorry, Jack" she repeats once again, her tears and her cries getting stronger and stronger with every passing second.

Wrapping an arm around his girlfriend, he pulls her into him, letting her cry into his chest.

Over the last week, he has had so many thoughts about losing Lula and he has spent so much time thinking about what she may be feeling in the lead up to where they are now. He thought that perhaps his question had made her feel uncomfortable, if he'd brought it up too soon. He thought that his question might have made her realise that she wants kids, but not with him. He thought that maybe kids were very much off her radar, and that there was no going back from that.

However, he never, ever imagined that _**this**_ is how his question had made her feel...

"Lula" he whispers, pressing a kiss to her hair as he holds her in his arms. She clutches onto him, sobbing her heart out after a week of suppressing her feelings. "It's okay..."

She sniffles, struggling to normalise her breathing as she attempts to reply to her boyfriend, trying to get in control of herself after breaking down.

"No... No, it's not okay. I've been awful this last week and you have no idea why, Jack."

He gives her a squeeze of support. Despite all of his own insecurity and confusion over the last week, it's like it's all been forgotten as he realises the toll that it has taken on Lula.

"You were right. Raising the question about kids _did_ trigger something for me... You see, I spent so many years making light of what happened with my parents, rather than facing the facts of it. I avoided the pain of it, the repercussions. Geek magic has been an outlet, making light of blood and gore rather than remembering what happened. That's how I learnt to cope with that experience. Then, when you started talking about kids, the only thing that I could think about was the knifing; the impact it had on me as a child seeing my mother forced to do that to my unfit father... This last week I've been forced to really face the reality of what my family was, when I normally try to escape it."

Jack nods in understanding, stroking her hair gently as he holds her. He listens to her every word and absorbs her every expression. He's doing his best to support her and comfort her, but deep inside, it's killing him see Lula like this. She's always been the more forward one, the stronger one, so seeing her like this hurts. He could count on one hand how many times he's seen her cry over the course of the year that they have been together.

"I'm so sorry, Jack... I know I've really pushed you away this week. It just brought everything that I've tried to forget in my childhood all back again. I've been trying to run away from all those memories and stay on top of that, which meant running away from everything else."

The couple moves slightly, re-positioning their embrace on the couch. As Lula's tears slow down and she gains control over her breathing, she sits upright a little more, still within Jack's arms.

"I'm sorry I upset you by bringing it up... I really only intended it as just an innocent question."

Lula nods sincerely as she strokes his cheek with her hand. She knows that Jack means what he says and she knows that in no way did Jack intend to open the Pandora's Box that has consequently been unleashed.

"I know... And in response to your question that I never really answered, someday, I want to be a mother, Jack, I do" Lula explains earnestly, noticing Jack's small smile at her comment.

"I want to be a mother, but I have no idea how. How am I supposed to be a mother when the only example I have is mine? My mother, who's infamous for knifing my own father in the neck... that's _not_ a mother..., I don't want our kids to walk out of their room one day to find me knifing you."

Once again, Jack kisses her hair. Even though he can tell that she is feeling a bit better, her past and the impact it's had on her by keeping it to herself is still taking its toll on her.

"Our kids?" he questions, giving her a small, suggestive smile, before his grin becomes cheekier in response to her last comment. "And yeah, well I can't say that I love that idea too much either."

"Well after _that_ comment, I don't know anymore..." Lula replies, giving her boyfriend a smirk and a small shove in his chest.

Jack smiles not only at Lula's sarcastic comment, but because he can see the light returning to her eyes which has been missing for the last week. He can feel the fact that that they're making it out from the other side of their obstacle. Things are finally reverting back to normal... They're getting through it, _together_.

"Lula? Are we good?" Jack asks; the most contradictory question to ask given her last, albeit jovial, comment.

She just smiles before wrapping an arm around his neck to press their foreheads together closely, looking deep into each other's eyes.

"Yeah, we're good... Thank you for being so patient with me. Thank you for not giving up on us."

The two of them share each other's smile, holding each other and appreciating all that they hadn't had and all that they hadn't felt over the last week. After the rough week that their relationship has endured, it only motivates both halves of the pair to ensure that they stay as far away as they possibly can from returning to the same situation in the future.

"I love you."

"Not as much as I love you, Jack Wilder."

He smiles at her, slowly moving in to press a kiss to lips for the first time in a week; for the first time since just before the game of truth or dare gone wrong.

* * *

 **Big thank you to everyone who commented/followed/favourited/read this story so far. I am loving writing it and although we have a few, fluffier chapters coming up with Jack, Lula and the boys, starting with chapter four, there are certainly more trials that are ahead for Jack and Lula. I'd love for you to stay with us on this journey!**

 **Don't forget to drop a comment to let me know what you thought.**

 **Next chapter: On their date night, Jack and Lula both try to outdo each other. **


	4. The Ones

**CHAPTER FOUR – The Ones**

After Jack and Lula faced and overcame the biggest challenge in the course of their relationship yet, the couple continued to go from strength to strength.

In fact, it was almost like since their trial, they had fallen in love with each other all over again, becoming just as besotted and being just as all over each other as they had been when they first got together.

Although the other boys were glad for the couple resolving their issues rather than go down the route of breaking up, they had to suffer through the honeymoon period _all over again_.

Right from the moment of their first kiss on New Years, Jack and Lula had been so completely distracted by each other that they had suddenly forgotten the urgency of their situation; forgetting that after the reveal they needed to flee their makeshift stage on the Thames since the FBI and Interpol were hot on their trail. In fact, Dylan had to basically carry Lula away from Jack while Merritt threatened to hypnotize Jack to unfix his focus from the girl he couldn't take his eyes off.

This lovey-dovey soppiness between the couple lasted for weeks when they first became girlfriend-and-boyfriend and now that they were back on track, they went through a very similar phase. It was as though it had been years that they had been at odds after the truth or dare question... rather than the one week it actually was.

If one saw the other even simply move from out of the corner of their eye, they couldn't help but look over and see what the other was doing; using just **any** excuse for laying eyes on each other.

Not to mention, they were both as distracted by each other as when they first got together. This was clear one evening when the boys were standing in the kitchen, working like a conveyor belt to clean up after dinner.

Standing at the sink, Dylan was washing and scrubbing the dirty dishes from tonight's meal of tacos before handing it to either Merritt or Danny, depending on whose hands were free and who had finished drying their last dish. Then, the dry dishes were handed onto Jack who would put it away in the cupboard or drawer that it belongs in.

At the same time as the boys were working in a line, Lula was floating around the room doing other tidy-up jobs. After she had taken all of the dirty dishes on the table over to Dylan, she continued with other little odd jobs around the kitchen like wiping benches and emptying the bin.

Suddenly, and very typically Lula-like, she begins becoming dramatic and over-top as she carries out the chore.

"I feel like Cinderella..." Lula muses with a smile, beginning to glide around the room with the dish cloth she was just purposelessly carrying around.

Dylan chuckles lightly as he continues washing the dishes, Danny rolls his eyes and Merritt grins as both he and Atlas try to hand dishes to the same man who was completely engrossed in his girlfriend's antics, watching as she skips around the room dramatically as though little birds were gliding around and helping her clean.

"Jack" Danny says, trying to catch Lover Boy's attention and love-struck gaze as he watches Lula frolic.

"Forget it, man. He's off in Lu-La-Land again..." Merritt says, thrilled that he'd found another instance to use his twist on 'La-La-Land', a phrase that he'd first coined as his own when the couple had initially gotten together.

Watching the big dopey grin that the younger man can't wipe off his face as he watches his girlfriend, the fellow Horsemen just roll their eyes and give up trying to catch his attention and begin putting the dishes away themselves; knowing that the lovers trances on each other are more powerful than any tricks Merritt could ever perform...

#

Later that day, Jack and Lula were the only two still up and awake. They hadn't bothered going to bed from where they were cuddled up on the lounge together.

They'd been sitting there silently letting the minutes pass, him playing with her hair, while she strokes different patterns and shapes into his palm, until Lula breaks the silence by speaking up.

"Hey?"

"Hey..." Jack says, replying back with the same word, in a different tone.

"No, that was a **question** 'hey'... not a **hi** 'hey'."

The verbal tennis between the two stops after Lula's clarification which he just nods at.

"My bad, I was distracted. What's up?"

With a slight frown and lightly furrowed brows, Lula seriously considers the question that she wants to pose to her boyfriend before she says it. She knows, from experience, that as soon as a question is out there, it's out there. There's no stopping the ramifications and the aftermath as a result of just a few little words.

He can sense her sudden change in mood, the sudden seriousness that has come between the two of them. He twists a little to see her face, to see if we can read anymore into what she's thinking.

"Lula?"

Looking up at him after her big grey-green eyes had been looking off distantly into space, she suddenly nods and makes her decision; deciding to bite the bullet and ask him.

It was important for her to know his answer, even if she doesn't like it.

"Jack? Tell me the truth, but do you think that things would be the same if we weren't in the situation we're in? While we're in hiding, you don't really have much of a chance to be with, let alone meet other girls, beyond me. If all the pressure and the forced circumstances of living together in hiding were gone and you had a choice of girls, do you really think that I'd still be the one you'd choose to be with? Do you think that would change _us_ if the circumstances weren't what they are?"

Lula loves Jack. She really, truly loves him with every inch of her being. However, despite all of their happiness, Lula couldn't help but remove the rose coloured glasses and question the reality of their relationship.

She always felt like _she_ had fallen for Jack **first** , harder and faster and she had always wondered in the back of her mind if it was the circumstances that they were in that had kept them together, even pulled them together.

Jack doesn't answer Lula's question instantly. He appears to look at his girlfriend from where she is nestled in his arms intently as she clarifies her initial question during the pause.

"Like, we've been forced together and forced to live together as the Horsemen, but what if that pressure was released? Without these circumstances, would we still be together? Would you still want to be? Don't just lie and give me the answer I want to hear, I'll be able to tell."

Waiting for Jack's reply to her serious question, Lula looks down to their intertwined hands; a tangle of his and her fingers wrapped in each others, clutching each other a little more tightly than what they had been a few minutes earlier.

"Lula May. _You_ are **the one** for me. I've never been surer of anything else in my life."

At his words, Lula exhales her deep breath that she didn't even realise that she'd been holding in.

"And do you want to know _how_ I know that?"

Lula doesn't say a word, but the look on her face does enough to tell him that _of course_ she wants to know how.

"I know that because I became used to viewing people and things as temporary. When my dad left us and after my mother died, I had a crash course in learning to let go of people you care for. Everyone I met after that, everything I had and even every place I lived, I learnt to view as temporary. You know, enjoy it while they're there and enjoy it while you have it, but just know that it isn't going to last forever."

Subconsciously, Jack looks around the room, checking that he and Lula are in fact the only two people still up and awake before he continues talking in an even lower whisper.

"... Even with the other Horsemen, I was just waiting for them to realise that it was all a big mistake and let go of me. I got really good at viewing everyone and everything as temporary... until I met you. You were the first person that I genuinely couldn't imagine as only being in my life temporarily. I couldn't. The idea of that hurt too much."

A smile spreads across Lula's lips, hearing the words that Jack has never uttered aloud to anyone before her. She squeezes his hand as they hold each other's while he continues to speak.

"But you know you are right though... Things _wouldn't_ be the same if we were out of hiding."

After his last comment, he watches Lula intently and lovingly. She flinches lightly and it's only _just_ apparent enough for Jack to notice it.

"Every day I actually wake up feeling glad that we're stuck in this situation. We have no distractions, excuses or even other commitments from the outside world to keep us from each other if we weren't in hiding. We don't have 9-5 jobs and other friends we need to catch up with or anything like that. It's just us, and the others, all day, every day and I love that."

Lula smiles and moves in closer to Jack, locking eyes with him before their lips crash together in a long, sweet kiss. When the two pull apart, Lula can't help but scold herself for being afraid of asking her boyfriend that question in the first place.

"What about you, babe? If you had the option and if our circumstances were different, do you think that we'd still be together? Would **you** still want _me_?"

"You forget that I _do_ have a choice... I live with a smorgasbord of men and, well, for quite a while there, I just couldn't decide between you or Merritt... In the end, your guns pushed you over the edge in my mind."

Lula's reply is as equally wistful as it is sarcastic, only making Jack chuckle at the dumb question he'd asked her.

"Alright, fair point... I didn't think that question through very well. Seriously though, do you think we'd still be together in different circumstances?"

"Oh Jack! You can't ask me that question after you completely aced your answer!" she complains, lightly pushing him in his stomach playfully. "My opinion isn't quite as eloquent as yours, but whenever I think about it, despite all the unknowns, the one thing I do know is that you're the one for me. Regardless of what happens in the future, whether we have to stay in hiding, whether the Horsemen disband or whether we're exonerated, I just know that I hope I'm with you. Because, I know that you're the one for me, too."

* * *

 **After all the friction between Jack & Lula over the last few chapters, I wanted a lighter one. So, you may have noticed that there was a slight difference between the preview for this chapter that I gave in the last chapter and the actual contents of this one. In between then and now, I felt that something was missing between the original chapter 3 and chapter 4, so I quickly wrote this up to fill the gap. The next chapter will be the original chapter 4! It's a big one...**

 **While I'm at it, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who read and an even more massive thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Love you all! I would love it if you let me know what you thought of this chapter. It motivates me massively to continue writing.**

 **Next chapter: It's Jack  & Lula's date for their second anniversary, with both of them trying to outdo the other. **


	5. Two Years

**CHAPTER FIVE - Two Years**

Another year passed, along with another three location changes for the four Horsemen and Dylan. After learning very quickly that none of them liked Africa much, they moved to their next hideout in New Zealand soon after, before moving onto Italy, where they have been based for the last four months.

Over the last year, Jack and Lula have really settled down, while continuing to flourish as a solid couple; just reaching the milestone of two years together.

To celebrate the occasion, Lula was in charge of their anniversary date night this time around, since Jack had organised their one year anniversary date. The same time last year, they were still based in Brisbane and Jack had outdone himself, organising for them to take a day trip further up the coast to see the Great Barrier Reef.

Initially, Lula had felt nervous at the idea of trying to top her boyfriend's perfect anniversary date from last year... but _of course_ she let Jack believe that her anniversary plans would outshine his all along. However, she quickly came to the conclusion that she wouldn't try and compete with that and with the magnitude of his plans. No, instead, and quite the opposite of the anniversary date that Jack had planned, Lula had decided to go with simple and low-key; intimate.

She'd chosen the best pizza place in the area and decidedly went for no fuss. It would be just good food, good wine and them; a perfect, low-key, but a completely Jack and Lula kind of date anyway.

#

"Ready?" Lula asks her boyfriend as she walks into the room nonchalantly, as though she _hasn't_ just spent the last three hours getting ready for this evening.

She was in a deep red dress that complemented her complexion and figure perfectly, partnered with her highest and thinnest pair of stilettos. She wore some simple Swarovski crystal studs and a Pandora bracelet which Jack had bought her for their one year anniversary.

Taking in his girlfriend, complete wonder and awe fills the fellow Horsemen's face. She takes his breath away and the smile on his face says it all... Jack looks like the cat that got the cream.

"You look beautiful, Lula" he says simply, pressing a small, sweet kiss to her lips before turning to the other boys, grinning proudly and showing her off. "Guys, this is _my_ girl."

In response to the head-over-heels lover boy, Danny just rolls his eyes, while Merritt chuckles at the younger man, before Dylan is the first one to speak up in response.

"Have a good night you little love birds..."

At this, Merritt is quick to add to his leader's comment, referencing Lula and her penchant for geek magic.

"Careful Jack, we all know how birds within Lula's reach end up..."

The couple who are holding hands and moving closer to the door and closer to their date just laugh dryly at Merritt's comment.

"And with _that_ , we are leaving" Lula says hooking her arm around Jack's to pull him out the door, with one final wave to the other boys in her life.

#

The pizza place is small, dimly lit and unpretentious. The food is fantastic, the decor is lovely and the soft Italian love songs only add to the atmosphere. It's perfectly romantic for the occasion of the couple's second anniversary. Despite how lovely the establishment is, it all takes a back seat to the company in Jack and Lula's opinion.

Although being seated across the table from one another, Jack and Lula are sitting as close as they possibly can, their hands wrapped around each other's on top of the table, while their legs are tangled together below the table.

Even though their desserts had been finished an hour ago, the time had flown by as they continued sitting there, chatting over their glasses of European red wine.

The couple continues to sit there, touching, talking about anything and everything, laughing both at each other and with each other, all the while falling more and more in love with each other.

Despite the fact that they are mid-conversation, Jack pauses from the topic for just one moment to share a fact that he has been reminded of at least a hundred times already tonight, not that it ever stopped at all; he just has to tell her.

"I love you so much, Lula."

The spontaneous timing of the comment makes Lula beam as much as the comment itself does. It is like despite their current conversation about where they think their next hide out might be, he just _had to_ interrupt from it and tell her; like he just couldn't keep it in for any longer.

She leans closer to him from where he's sitting on the other side of the table. Keeping one hand in his, she presses her other hand up to his cheek, stroking his clean-shaven skin affectionately before her hand gently pulls his face closer to her own, to close the gap between them before she whispers in his ear.

"Jack? I could marry you... Will you marry _me_?"

Just like the spontaneity of Jack's declaration of love for her, Lula's next comment is just as spontaneous when the realisation finally struck her that she is sitting opposite the man that she wants to marry, a thought that she cannot escape after that realisation.

After Lula's proposal, Jack backs out from their embrace a little to be able to look her deep in the eyes, setting off alarm bells for the woman in front of him.

Magicians are always supposed to have at least 152 different ways to back out of things when it hits the fan, yet, there she is sitting there, unable to think of even _one_ way to get herself out of the situation if her proposal isn't met with the right answer.

"Are you serious?" Jack questions, his eyes bulging from shock.

In response to the question, Lula wastes the one opportunity she may have had to back out of it, by nodding softly in affirmation to her boyfriend's question which has just come in answer to her own question.

"Check your pockets" Jack tells Lula, a beaming smile suddenly spreading across Jack's lips.

She looks at him curiously, unsure if they're even on the same page anymore. One minute she's proposing and the next minute he's telling her to check her pocket.

"I just asked you to marry me and you-" she begins to say, until she stops mid-sentence. Lula's face begins to pale out of shock as she touches a distinctive-feeling little velvet box from within the pocket of the jacket she'd brought along for her dress.

Watching the stunned look of amazement on her face, Jack doesn't think he's ever seen such a simple, anti-pick-pocketing magic trick bring him so much joy.

"Jack? What is _this_? And-how-did-you-do- _ **that**_?"

Considering Lula could perform the exact same manoeuvre on Jack if she wished, it isn't the trick that impressed her, but it is what the trick has presented her with as she holds the small red box in her hands.

"You didn't steal this thing from someone else did you?!" she suddenly scolds in a sharp whisper when she doesn't receive any answers from him.

She knows Jack _wouldn't_ , under any circumstances, but her thrilled, nervous and completely excited state does _nothing_ to reduce her speech, considering that she's a constant chatterbox at the best of times.

Her nerves dart frantically from within her, her heart begins to pound rapidly and her breathing suddenly becomes shaky as she watches Jack rise up from the chair he's been sitting in for the past three hours before lowering to the ground in front of her.

As he stabilises himself on one knee, he rests his weight on one as he holds himself up with the other. He takes Lula's shaking hands in his, giving them a quick squeeze of reassurance before borrowing the little velvet box that she is still holding, unopened within her nervous palms.

"Lula May, you are the love of my life... I have spent the last three weeks carrying this little box around everywhere with me, waiting to ask you that question, trying to find the perfect time and thinking of the perfect way to give it to you. It turns out that _this_ was the perfect way."

Jack pauses for a moment to open the little velvet box that both of them have held within the last few minutes. Tears begin to well up in Lula's eyes the moment she lays eyes on the ring that she hopes to wear for the rest of her life, as she gives Jack her hand. He delicately takes the uniquely stunning black ring, with its single contrasting diamond out from where it is nestled in the box, before gently sliding it onto the fourth finger on her petite left hand.

"So, in answer to your question Lula, yes... Yes, I will marry you."

The second that the last word is spoken from Jack's lips, Lula flings her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his in an intense, loving kiss that seems to both last forever and not nearly long enough.

When the newly engaged couple finally break apart, they just continue holding each other, beaming and enjoying their moment together. Looking at each other, celebrating with each other, Jack and Lula's eyes are so full of love and happiness, along with their endless smiles.

"Happy two years, babe."

* * *

 **They're engaged! Who saw that coming? I can't wait for you all to read what else is coming. While the last few chapters have been fluffier, there's certainly some much bigger trials and challenges ahead.**

 **Thanks heaps to everyone who read and commented on the last chapter. I appreciate the support.**

 **Next chapter: Jack & Lula share their news with the Horsemen, before that's not their only surprise...**


	6. When In Rome

**CHAPTER SIX – When In Rome**

That evening when Jack and Lula arrived home, they entered the Italian share house like two giggly school girls. The smiles haven't been wiped off their faces all evening.

"Look what the cat dragged in" Merritt exclaims, talking over the movie that the other three boys are halfway through watching on the same evening as the couple's date night.

The loved-up duo manage to compose themselves for long enough to greet their roommates, before Dylan pauses the movie and speaks up.

"How'd it go? Did you have a good night?"

Lula is the first to reply with a typically quick-witted response.

"My night? Hmm, a bit boring, a little dull, a few hours too long... I have heard that Jack had some fantastic company though!"

"It can't have been _you_ then" Jack says, replying to the dig that she had made at him just as quickly.

Both halves of the couple just stand there laughing at the completely faux sarcastic insults towards each other. Really, at this point in time, neither of them could fathom saying a mean word towards the other intentionally.

"Show them, babe" is the next thing that Jack says quietly, encouraging his fiancée what to do and not needing to give her any further details for her to understand what he's talking about.

"Well, despite the mutually tedious company, this happened" Lula exclaims, excitedly bursting out her left hand as though she was showing it off to a group of girlfriends, as opposed to her male housemates that are sitting in front of her.

There is a flurry of celebration in the room at the announcement from the newly engaged couple. After all the hugs, congratulations and celebratory drinks poured by Merritt, the group of five finally start to settle down... _until_ Dylan opens up a can of worms.

"So _Jack_ proposed on their _anniversary_... Cough it up boys."

There are two consecutive groans coming from Atlas and Merritt, as Danny begins to pull out his wallet for the smug-looking agent.

Early on in the couple's relationship, when they started getting serious after Jack had officially asked Lula to be his girlfriend the day after she kissed him first at New Years, the other boys had placed bets on who would propose and when.

Dylan's quick reaction and reminder of the bet is due to how well he believes he has predicted the engagement. His money was on Jack proposing to Lula on their anniversary. Meanwhile, Merritt had always thought that Lula would propose be the one to propose. Not to mention, the mentalist was a few months out, predicting that she wouldn't do it until March, unlike January as it proved to be. Then there's Danny who should have learnt his lesson not to get involved in bets by now. He had guessed that it would be Jack who would propose, but halfway through the year.

" _Of course_... They were betting on our engagement. I should _so_ not be surprised. But, well, actually no, Dylan... _I_ proposed to _him_."

Merritt unleashes a fist pump at Lula's clarification, while Danny slides his wallet back into his pants.

" _She_ proposed; _I_ got down on one knee" Jack adds quickly to save his reputation in front of his friends. _Really_ , he thought it was hot that Lula had been the one to ask him. "I already had the ring, she just got in first."

In this case, it is Merritt and Dylan, who get the split of Danny's money.

"Well you boys may have gotten my money, but just know that I knew that these two would get together first... I knew it ever since we went to Iong's in Macau. You guys didn't see them in there, flirting up a storm... Like, seriously Lula, you took his belt? I don't even want to know how or why."

A grin is shared between the newly engaged couple, that's a story that can just stay between them.

"Well that's not really fair. I wasn't in Macau with you guys for most of the time. So I didn't really pick it until a knife was shoved at Lula on the plane in London... Then, when we had to basically pry you two apart before the FBI got there after your first kiss."

Jack and Lula share a look; who cares if they got caught up in the moment and had totally and completely forgotten about the impending risk and the big picture after their celebratory New Years kiss after they'd succeeded in their enemies undoing. However, the lightly blushing couple are interrupted by Merritt who exclaims that of course, he was all-knowing, all along.

"Of course it took you two amateurs that long... I was clued up right from the OCTA event. I think that Jack was impressed with the dismembered arm fiasco, then there was the behind the scenes flirtation. And let's not forget how he basically _carried_ her to the ill-fated tunnel."

Dylan and Danny nod in agreement at Merritt's speech, while Jack pipes up defensively.

"Oh come on, I didn't carry her to the tunnel... I just helped her down from the ladder... like a _gentleman_ – unlike you two."

"Ooh, touché" Merritt exclaims at the younger man's retort, before claiming his revenge. "But then again Jack, I think that _every_ man in the room -there was a lot of us- fell in love with her at the lab in Macau, after her little manoeuvre..."

Jack's eyes clench shut, trying to ignore that particular fact as he remembers that he hadn't been the _only_ one to watch her creative use of props to hide the chip halfway through their card heist that day.

"I can't hear you Mer-bear" Jack says in response with his fingers shoved in his ears for dramatic effort.

Merritt _knew_ that as much as _Jack_ liked that moment, he always hated that there was a whole crowd of other men around her.

"Aw, Jackie... Were you _jealous_?" Lula teases as she presses a kiss to her fiancés cheek.

"Jealousy doesn't suit you very much, but you're still hot as all hell to me..."

#

After Jack and Lula had gotten engaged on their second anniversary, there was basically nothing more said about the impending wedding beyond Lula occasionally reading a bridal magazine or asking the other boys for an opinion on one thing or another every now and then.

In fact, one time Merritt was even inspired to check that they were still in fact engaged and still planning a wedding...

"Hey Lula, you know Jack?"

"Mm... Jack" Lula begins to say before pausing and appearing to contemplate the question seriously. "Well, the name _does_ sound familiar... Mm, yeah, I believe I know the guy. Why?"

Merritt takes a seat at the bench beside her where she's sitting there, focused on painting her nails.

"Well a while back, I heard a rumour that you and Jack were planning on getting married... We've all been kind of wondering if that is still on the _cards_ –get it- since we haven't heard about it since."

Lula pauses from her nail that she is midway through painting to shoot her friend a surprised look.

"Yeah of course it's still happening. Wedding planning isn't rocket science – it'll happen" Lula says, responding with a complacent shrug.

When it came to her upcoming wedding, Lula was not a Bride-zilla, not even in the slightest. She knew that it would all come together and she knew one day wasn't the be-all or end-all. In fact, at some points, Jack managed to work himself up more about the planning details than she did.

#

Over the course of several months, the couple went on planning for their wedding together, on the down-low. The others didn't even have an idea that they had set a wedding day until the day before they were set to leave from Italy for their next destination to hide out at.

Lula had been absent all morning and her housemates had presumed she was packing for the move. However, when Jack walks into the room at midday, wearing a formal white suit shirt, with suit pants and shined shoes, the obscurities become clearer and clearer.

"Boys... It's time to get a move on, I'm getting married today!"

After a whole lot of questions relating to the secrecy of the wedding and the total lack of warning, Atlas and Merritt found their smartest clothing for the nuptials, while Dylan just got changed; since the couple had already sorted out their plans with him.

Jack and Lula had planned for a small, low key registry office wedding with the three men that meant the most to them. Neither Jack, nor Lula had any surviving family members to attend so a small-and-sweet wedding with their best friends was perfect for them.

One of the issues with Jack and Lula getting married had been whether it would be possible to do it legally, _without_ the authorities tracking them down to hand over to the FBI. So, they had come up with the idea of being married and processing their registration papers the day before they left the country, staying in a different hotel the night before they leave the country, instead of their hideout where they have spent the last few months before flying out with fake passports the following morning.

After exchanging their vows, saying I do and sealing it with a kiss, the three men along with Mr. and Mrs. Jack Wilder fled the registry office quickly in case there was any reason that it was processed faster than the three business days that they were informed of; which would be a big clue of their whereabouts for the FBI.

The couple's wedding reception was just as low key as the wedding itself. After the ceremony, the group of five headed out to a park, Villa Borghese. There they had a picnic in the park, complete with pizza, champagne and gelato.

This is where Jack and Lula are cuddled up on a picnic mat on the lawn, sitting under the shade of trees on the mild day. Merritt had been giving everyone a laugh at his poor efforts to try to provide some Italian music for the event, while Dylan had tried to give a small, soppy speech for the newlyweds. But, through it all, Jack could barely take his eyes off his wife with the most genuine grin of happiness.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look today?" Jack asks his new wife.

"Once or twice... To be honest couldn't decide between or uggies and track pants or this..." Lula says gesturing to her beautiful, knee length ivory-laced dress.

Jack chuckles at her joke, before telling her that she had made the right choice.

She smiles back at her husband's response, leaning in to press a long, deep kiss to his lips.

As they pull away, Lula looks at him, seeing the love and happiness on his face. He looks how she feels on the inside...

In this moment, they both feel so perfectly happy and so blissfully in love, ready to face whatever life has to throw at them, with each other.

"You know, I love you Mrs. Wilder."

"I love **you** Mr. Wilder."

* * *

 **I had SO much trouble with writing this chapter. It took quite a lot of effort to get (what I think is!) the balance right. I didn't want it to be too cheesy, but then I did want it to be sweet and a little fluffy. I really hope it reads okay and I hope you guys don't mind that I didn't draw out the engagement for too long. There's just quite a few bigger plots coming very soon and I wanted to get the ball rolling on those.**

 **Next chapter: Jack and Lula enjoy newly-wedded bliss, but there's a few 'somethings' in their path. **


	7. Something

**CHAPTER SEVEN – Something**

After leaving Italy the day after Jack and Lula were married, the Horsemen all fled back to Canada with their fake passports, hoping to slowly and gradually worm their way back into the United States, with hope of being able to hide out in their homeland.

The Horsemen lay in hiding as they saw all the internet reports swirling around and circulating two weeks after the registry office wedding; not only tipping off the FBI as to where they had been, but also sharing the fact that the youngest two Horsemen had also been married with the media.

When the news reports had first begun to surface, the Horsemen virtually went into lock-down in their Canadian hideout. In some of their previous locations, the Horsemen had managed to work their way up to and enjoy a measure of relative freedom. After all, the Australian's and Italian's weren't so familiar with wanted American 'criminals' and enough time had passed for their faces to be forgotten by most members of the public.

However, with the fresh news reports and their faces reappearing on newspapers and the prime time news - _especially_ being in the neighbouring country to their homeland- they really had to lay low and let the fuss die down.

Only leaving the house once a fortnight or so did not fuss the newlyweds who are always the last to offer to take up disguises and go out shopping to stock up on supplies and other necessities. However, for the other boys, a chance to leave the nauseatingly loved-up newlyweds was _always_ a welcome escape.

#

Around two months after landing in Canada and around two months after the wedding, the newlyweds are just beginning to wake up at ten in the morning; waking up to the noise further in the house which they could only assume was Merritt trying to clean, since it's his turn this week.

"THIS THING DOES NOT WORK" is yelled multiple times, echoing throughout the house. The yells are followed by a few bursts of vacuum suction as it turns on, before a few more bangs and clangs are heard and yet another frustrated exclamation of: "IT'S NOT WORKING!"

Lula groans after the mentalist's second yell and Jack moves slightly, shifting his mouth from where it's sunk into the pillow to be able to speak.

"It's alright. I'll kill him for you later."

"My hero..." Lula responds wistfully, scrunching her eyes closed with the hope of getting a little more sleep.

The couple falls to a silence and both Jack and Lula try for a little more sleep until Lula lets out a frustrated groan about five minutes later.

"Nope, I'm awake."

"Too bad if _I_ wasn't" Jack grumbles, flipping himself over, facing the ceiling rather than the pillow he had buried his face into.

Lula snuggles over to his side of the bed, pressing a kiss to his cheek to make it up to him. She slings her arm over his chest and he reciprocates the action by moving his arm underneath her back, pulling her in closer to him.

"How are you?"

"Sleepy" Lula enunciates slowly, burying her head into her husband's chest.

The room falls to silence once again, until Lula can feel that she is being watched, opening an eye to see Jack's big, white grin.

"What?" she asks curiously, with a light laugh.

He just shakes his head as though it's nothing, but his beaming smile just doesn't stop, no matter how hard he tries to hide it.

"Jack? Come on! Something's on your mind... Tell me!" Lula nags curiously, her own lips forming a smile at the grin that isn't being wiped off of her husband's lips.

"It's nothing, babe..." he says unconvincingly, a small laugh threatening to escape as his smile only grows wider and wider seeing how agitated her growing curiosity is making her.

The smiling and laughter is contagious. Lula tries to force an annoyed look at Jack, only making her own smile impossible to suppress, forcing him to laugh more and more at her attempt to be sour as her watches her fail miserably.

She playfully shoves him in the chest and he grabs her arms to stop her, causing the couple to just laugh more and more, finding it harder and harder to stop themselves the longer that they continue to laugh.

"Jack! Seriously! Tell me. It's _something_... What is it?" Lula says, managing to briefly stop herself from bursting out laughing as she controls her breathing for long enough to nag him about what had started their contagious laughing fits from him watching her in the first place.

"It's silly..." Jack just responds, a little blush of colour spreading across his cheeks with embarrassment as he hesitates to speak.

"Babe, once we had to spend twenty minutes educating you on the fact that you were pronouncing 'pronunciation' incorrectly... Now _that's_ silly."

Jack continues to blush a little more before succumbing to his persistent wife.

"The other's would tease me – it's just silly, Lula."

Stroking a hand down his cheek seductively, Lula reminds him that _the others aren't here_ , which is the final straw that makes Jack cave into his loved-up emotions.

"I was just thinking about how lucky I am. I mean, look at you. Five years ago, if someone had told me that I'd be here, with a fierce and incredibly beautiful woman, that she'd be married to me and that we'd be part of something as extraordinary as we are with the people that we are... Well, I just think that the Jack Wilder from five years ago could have really done with being told that; he could have done with being told that life gets better."

All signs of laughing had well and truly subsided as Jack opens up to Lula, spreading a really big smile across her face at his genuine comment. One of the things that she loves about Jack is that beneath the charm, the confidence and the bravado, he really is a fragile man who feels unworthy of but daily grateful for the opportunities that had been given to a young man who could have been a lost cause.

Beneath the exterior that people have come to know as Jack Wilder, Lula knows who the real Jack Wilder is.

"Jack, that's not something _silly_... That's something _beautiful_. You're grateful... That's something that makes me love you even more than I already do."

Gaining a little more confidence after Lula's reassurances, Jack still can't help but pinch himself as she leans in to kiss him slowly and softly, which is something else that he never, ever takes for granted...

#

Later that day, while Lula, Danny and Merritt are out on the deck of the private backyard, practicing their sleight-of-hand, Jack quickly leaves the group to fetch another deck of cards from inside.

At the same time as Jack, Dylan enters the room also, sliding his phone from where it's resting against his ear, straight into his pocket.

"Hey man."

"Jack? You got a minute?"

The younger man looks back to his wife and two of their closest friends, watching as they all hopelessly tried to fling and throw cards in every direction. They are too busy trying to outdo each other to notice that they were missing him.

"Sure. What's up?"

The leader of the Horsemen leads one of the younger members into his own room, making sure that no one is in hearing range before speaking up.

"Something's come up, Jack."

Jack looks vaguely at the agent, wordlessly urging him to fill in the blanks a little more.

"The Eye has been in contact with me about you. They have discovered that someone has been desperately trying to get in contact with you, urgently, and apparently they've been getting pretty close."

Listening to Dylan as he informs him of the details, Jack just stands there waiting the entire time for him to pause for long enough to ask the question that's nagging at him.

"Who is it, Dylan?"

"I don't have that information, I'm sorry. It's up to you whether or not you want to make contact with this person... If you decide to, The Eye will give you details then. Or, they'll send them off on a wrong trail to put them off the scent of where we are."

Jack just stands there, managing to nod at the last thing his friend tells him, despite being completely dumbfounded. Who could _possibly_ be trying to get in contact with him, not to mention, why? Jack has no family left and he never really had any close friends in his life before the Horsemen. If it was just an outstanding debt or money, The Eye had the facilities to take care of it

Who on earth could it possibly be that is after Jack so urgently?

It has to be something _personal_ , something _important_...

* * *

 **Well, well, well... Who is it that's looking for him? Any guesses? I'd love to hear your theories.**

 **Sorry that this one isn't up sooner. The past few weeks have been manic.**

 **Next chapter: Jack and Lula have to decide whether or not they want to find out who's looking for him. Who could it possibly be and what could they possibly want to do with Jack? Next one's a big one!**


	8. Clearly Hazy

**CHAPTER EIGHT – Clearly Hazy**

After Dylan reiterates the decision of whether or not Jack wants to make contact with whoever is desperately searching to find him, Dylan flees the home.

Jack walks around and does a lap of the house before ending up outside, watching the three other Horsemen -including his wife- fight it out as they throw cards, yelping that their own throws are further, faster and more precise than the others.

"Lula. Have you got a minute, babe?"

"Oh! I'm so close to beating Mer-bear. Just give me a second" Lula says initially, before glancing at Jack.

As soon as she shoots a quick glimpse in his direction, it's almost as though she can sense the urgency, as though she can read that something's on her husband's mind, prompting her to changie her initial answer

"Actually, blow it. I'm the card-master's wife... We all know that I'm going to win anyway" Lula adds to her previous comment, cutting short the game and downplaying the urgency that she can sense.

Lula just hauls the remains of her pack of cards at the other boys before storming off and over to Jack. He takes her hand in his, leading her to their bedroom, before closing the door behind them.

"I cut my game short for _this_?" Lula questions, while visibly unimpressed, with her hands on her hips.

Jack sighs, ignoring her comment before taking a seat on the side of their bed.

"What's up?"

"While you guys were playing, Dylan called me in. He told me that The Eye has informed him that they have become aware of the fact that there's someone who's looking for me."

Lula's initial question is the exact same as what Jack's first question was to Dylan earlier.

"Who is it?" Lula asks instantly to which she just receives a shrug from her husband.

"No idea. I've only come to the conclusion that it must be something important and it must be something personal. Dylan doesn't even know who it is."

Jack pulls his deck of cards that he carries everywhere with him out of the pocket of his leather jacket and starts to shuffle through the deck. Whenever Jack's thinking about something, especially when he doesn't want to admit he is nervous about something, the deck of cards are brought out.

"Wow... Okay. And they're only trying to contact **you**? Not the rest of us" Lula questions her husband, taking a seat beside Jack on their bed as he shuffles the cards through his hands. He is visibly preoccupied as he racks his brain, searching for any potential possibilities of who might be trying to get in contact with him.

"Yeah, just me... That's part of what has me stumped. It's not concerning us and it's not concerning the Horsemen... It's just _me_."

A little smirk begins to develop on Lula's face as she shuffles closer to Jack and strokes his cheek, a smile forming on his lips, although he isn't distracted from shuffling.

"Too bad... Don't they know you're married?"

"Yeah, I _really_ don't think The Eye would tell Dylan to tell me if a girl was just trying to get my number, Lula..."

After her husband's comment, Lula sits there chuckling to herself for a moment, reflecting on how love-struck and desperate _she_ had been upon first meeting Jack.

"Well, I wouldn't blame a girl for being desperate for your attention... Been there, done that..."

The couple share a little moment, smiling on the early days after meeting and the early days of their relationship, back when Lula was far more vocal about her feelings than he was; although Jack did learn how to catch up pretty quickly. The moment is broken as present-day brings them back to reality and the current situation at hand.

"So they're only looking for you, and it's not any of the rest of us... Maybe you've won something? Did you have any long-lost relatives with great fortunes to pass on? Did you take up gambling on the lottery at any point?"

Jack shakes his head at all of Lula's suggestions, although she had a fairly good idea of his answer before she asked him.

"Well maybe it's the authorities. Maybe they're trying to strike a deal with you?"

"To be quite honest, I think I'd be in the most trouble with the cops. I faked my own death, I have no idea how many Laws that one breaks."

Thinking his point through, Lula just nods and realises the weakness of her last suggestion, trying to guess who could possibly be after her husband so urgently.

"Eh, I give up. I know there are not many possibilities, but do you have any inkling of who might be looking for you? Even just a slight feeling; whether it's logical or not?"

Keeping his well-worn cards in one hand, Jack runs his free hand through his hair with a sigh.

"I have no idea... No clue, whatsoever. But, I do have to decide whether or not I want to accept the contact and let The Eye arrange for me to meet up with whoever it is, or whether I just want to leave it as it is. I wanted your input on it, too. If you don't think I should, I won't."

Sensing Jack's indecision and confusion from the situation, Lula takes his hand in hers and gives it a squeeze of confidence and support.

"I think you should do it, Jack. Meet up with them. You don't want to die wondering who it was and what it was about."

#

After Jack got back to Dylan about the decision he'd come to with Lula's help, Dylan got in contact with The Eye about Jack's decision. Finally, a meet up was arranged.

Sitting there, heavily disguised, in a bustling cafe in Calgary, Jack Wilder is still none the wiser as to who he will be meeting and why. The only details that he had received from The Eye were a date, time and place to meet and the fact that he was to go alone.

He takes a sip from his long black coffee, scanning the room continually; searching for something or someone that is even a _little_ bit familiar... Searching for the reason why he is waiting to meet up with someone today.

He had been focused and he had been on the lookout for every second that he has spent waiting so far. This is why it startles Jack when a young blonde girl approaches him, seemingly all of a sudden, with a smile on her face.

"Well, well, Jack Wilder... Long time no see."

The blonde woman is tall, her body language confident from the moment she begins to stride over to Jack. Her eyes are a stunning icy blue and her skin is bronzed, most likely tanned.

She would have to be around the same age as Jack, who she goes in to hug as she greets him. The expression on his face only goes from being startled, to even more confused. After the two pull away from the brief and predominantly one-sided hug, the woman who it turns out Jack is here to meet, just comfortably slides into the seat at the table across from him.

The two just sit there, looking at each other; from where they sit opposite from one another for a moment. Jack's expression is no less confused by the meet up, as her expression only reflects the fact that she can read his face.

"You don't remember me, do you?" she says, asking him bluntly as a little look of disappointment flits across her face. But, she quickly regains her composure once again, this occurring all before Jack even has the chance to respond.

"I'm sorry..." are the first and only words that Jack can manage to release from his mouth to confirm the woman's question.

He's sorry that he doesn't know her if he should. He's sorry that he has caused the little look of disappointment that passed over her face. He's sorry that he had no idea who she is or why he is meeting this woman who was so eager to meet with him. He's sorry that he said yes to the meet up at all...

"Wow... It's funny, I have thought about _**you**_ so many times over the past few years, yet you don't even recall _**me**_ " the woman says, a little sadly, before she continues to speak. This time when she speaks, Jack picks up on a very slight twang to her American accent, some words sounding a little more English and a little more proper than others. "I don't blame you though; there was a **lot** of alcohol involved that night. I'm Holly... Holly Thompson. We met about six years ago in Orlando."

Orlando. Six years ago. Jack had been doing street tricks and performances. He had been moving around quite a lot, given the nature of his magic tricks resulting in pick-pocketing most of the time; he couldn't stay in one place for too long and risk being caught. He'd do four street magic performances, tops, in one particular city before he'd have to move onto the next one.

Thinking back to those days, he'd started in Sacramento, San Fran, L.A., Vegas, Santa Fe, Dallas, New Orleans, Tallahassee, working his way towards... Orlando.

Again, he was only in Orlando for a week or so at the most, before he'd began to start travelling north with his street shows.

"We met at a nightclub, Aero. I don't know what led you there, but I was there, drinking my sorrows over my ex. We got chatting and dancing and I thought you were different. I felt like I could trust you."

To corroborate her story, Holly pulls out a small photograph that had been taken nearly six years ago, with the two adults that had met for coffee looking a lot younger and a lot more intoxicated with their arms swung around each other in a nightclub, before she continues explaining.

"The next morning, I woke up $79 poorer, missing my ID, my bank card, my swipe pass for work and my library card. Not to mention, feeling even more sad and sorry for myself for trusting you."

Jack cringes at the recount from the past. He hates what he used to do and how he acted in the past. He hated doing it at the time too, but back then he was more than desperate and his moral compass wasn't quite as intact.

"But, even though you took quite a lot from me, I don't know if you realise that you did actually leave something with me..."

... He's too busy feeling ashamed for not only what he did in the past, but feeling even more guilty from sitting there and having to hear about it from someone who had experienced the old Jack firsthand, in the past.

... He's too busy kicking himself for his past decisions and mistakes to really make sense of what Holly is trying to convey to him at the end of the spiel.

... He's too busy focusing on and thinking about his guilt to notice Holly palming through her purse -which she keeps a tight hold on- as she pulls out a small photo of a young child, before handing it to Jack.

... He's too busy and too focused on his own feelings and his own guilt, until she drops the bombshell, pulling him from his own thoughts _completely_.

"Despite everything that you took from me, you gave me this little guy, Billie. _Our_ son..."

* * *

 **Boom! There it is. Can Jack trust Holly? Will he want anything to do with his son? How will Lula react?**

 **Next chapter: Holly explains her side of the story and Jack tries to tell Lula. **


	9. Revelations

**CHAPTER NINE – Revelations**

"Pardon?"

Jack Wilder heard what Holly Thompson has just told him perfectly clearly. Yet, this is the only word that comes from his mouth as he sits there, holding a photo of a five-year-old in complete shock. A photo of _his_ five-year-old...

Looking over to Jack, Holly can tell that his 'pardon' is not asking for her to repeat the bombshell that she has just dropped on him. No, he heard that one loud and clear.

"Our son, Billie, he's just turned five. Originally, after I found out that I was pregnant, I was happy to raise him on my own. Especially given that you broke my trust and stole from me."

"I'm really sorry" Jack quickly adds, although his jaw is still dropping and his mind is still racing as he tries to make sense of this revelation.

As he places the photo that he had been clutching tightly onto the table, Jack runs his hands through his hand nervously, fighting his urge to pull out his deck of cards and start shuffling them at the table to ease his sudden unsteadiness. He could swear that the cafe is growing louder; he could swear that everyone and everything is moving in closer and closer towards him and he can only hope that he is just sitting through an extremely vivid nightmare.

"To be quite honest, after I made my decision and except from the day that Billie was born, I don't think I even thought of you again for a few years. That was until the Four Horsemen formed and you were thrust into the spotlight. I kept up with all the articles and all the news reports after pulling off that bank heist, then when you guys depleted that Englishman's bank account and when you were fleeing the police in a high-speed chase... When you 'died'..."

Jack nods knowingly, clear flashes and memories playing out in his mind as he vividly remembers all three events that she is describing from a little over three years ago.

"That day, I remember holding my breath, watching the high-speed chase live on TV. I remember watching it all unfold and I remember the guilt I felt watching when the car exploded without anybody escaping from it... That day, when I realised the mistake of my ways, I thought I was too late. When the world thought you were dead, I remember wishing that you had had a chance to know Billie or just at least the chance to know that he exists."

Well, he most certainly knows that he exists now.

Still trying to manage his complete shock, Jack's gaze once again returns to the photo of the child on the table. The little boy with dark blonde hair is laughing or giggling at whatever is happening at the same time as the photo being taken. It is only as Jack analyses the photo a little more deeply, does a sudden connection spring to his mind.

All of his life, Jack has been told how when he smiles, his smile isn't just on his lips, it radiates across his whole face and through his eyes. Suddenly, he knows what people mean by that as he looks down at the photo of the young child; seeing his happiness in the photo radiate across his entire face.

The connection brings a small smile to Jack's face as he looks at the photo, before being interrupted as Holly continues to speak and explain.

"You can't imagine how I felt on the day of that OCTA show when it was revealed that you'd faked your own death; that you were actually alive and well... It was too good to be true. It was the second chance that I never thought I'd have."

A small smile spreads across Holly's lips as though she's remembering the moment and the relief that she had felt a few years back when Walter Mabry had trapped the Horsemen and exposed the fact that Jack was alive and well after faking his own death on the Brooklyn Bridge a year before that.

"Now I'm at peace with the fact that you're aware of our son now, that at least you know that he exists and that _I've_ done the right thing. But, it's up to **you** to decide whether you want to be a part of Billie's life, or not."

Holly slides a small piece of paper with her number across the table to Jack along with the two small photos, one of their young, smiling son and the other a photo taken nearly six year ago of the drunken two young adults in the middle of a club.

After sliding both her number and the photos across to him, Holly promptly grabs her handbag and walks off just as confidently as she had approached Jack earlier; as though she _hasn't_ just turned his entire world upside down...

#

As Jack walks in the door of the Horsemen's hide out, he still feels just as shocked as he did when he had walked out of the coffee shop.

"So come on! Tell me, tell me! Who was it?! How'd you go? Are we rich?!"

Bounding up and down like a puppy dog in front of her husband excitably, Lula looks positive and upbeat. She gives him a kiss before draping herself all over him, so she's impossible for him to ignore. She has no idea in the _slightest_ of what he has to tell her and how it will change their life forever. For all she knows, she's still holding onto hope that he may have won the lottery or been offered an out by police; something that will change their life for the better.

Little does Lula know that what he does have to tell her about who he met up with _will_ change their life, but not in the ways that she had expected.

Seeing her naivety and her hope hurts him, worrying Jack that _he_ will be the one hurting her with his news.

The entire time that Jack had been with Holly, hearing about Billie, he couldn't _quite_ put his finger on why he feels the way he does. But, the second that he sees Lula emerge from their bedroom, everything suddenly becomes clearer.

Jack realises that he couldn't find and he couldn't feel any pride in the existence of his son and he couldn't feel excited by the fact that he has a ready-made-kid -although he's always wanted children- is because he feels _guilty_.

Despite any feelings to the contrary, Jack is stuck with the overriding sensation of guilt... guilt because he _feels like_ he's cheated on Lula.

Even though the deed was done years ago; years before the Four Horsemen had formed and years before he'd even met Lula, Jack can't help this feeling and the sensation of feeling as though he'd cheated on Lula since the result of his past is only just becoming clear _**now**_.

She never signed up for this in the past... she never _knew_ about it to be _able_ to sign her consent. But, then again, neither did Jack. However, Lula hadn't signed up for a step-child, she hadn't signed up for Jack having a son and she hadn't signed up for the fact that this was all with another woman who has suddenly been pulled into their lives. Not only had Lula not signed up for it, but she has no say.

Regardless of the fact that Jack hadn't cheated and he hadn't done anything _wrong_ , he just cannot shake his feeling of guilt for putting Lula in this situation.

She has no idea how much Jack and his past is going to change not just their life, but her life as well.

With a deep sigh of guilt, he takes her petite hands in his own, leading her into the bedroom that they share at their current hideout; leading her to their bed which they both take a seat on the side of.

"I love you Lula" he says firstly, wanting that to be perfectly clear before he drops the news on her. Gazing at her closely and intently, he can't help himself and he can't stop himself from touching her, from appreciating every little detail about his wife that he loves. He runs his fingers through her locks of hair that float around her face delicately; running his fingers through these loose strands and tucking them behind her ear.

"Jack? What's going on?" Lula asks softly.

She can read her husband like a book. She just knows that something is up with him which changes her own attitude as Lula's bubbly demeanour of just minutes ago quickly fades away, replaced with concern.

With another sigh, Jack takes Lula's petite hands in his from where they are sitting on their bed beside each other, with only centimetres of distance between them. He clutches her hands tightly, in an attempt to comfort himself as much as he's trying to support her.

Lula can feel her heartbeat beginning to pound from within her. She can feel her heart rate rapidly escalating with worry at what he's clearly finding so difficult to tell her. She's trying to read his eyes and she's trying to read his expression; searching for any clue that might help her to determine what she can feel is weighing on him so greatly.

"Lula, the person I went to meet was someone who I had met when I was travelling around the U.S., looking for easy money with my street magic performances. My memory's hazy, but apparently we hooked up almost six years ago."

Looking down at their intertwined and laced fingers, Lula's grasp on his hands releases a little before he's even finished speaking. She feels like she knows what's coming next and she flinches to prepare herself for the words.

"She's been looking for me since my fake death was outed and she wanted to meet up to tell me that she has a little boy... my son."

* * *

 **Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter! I really appreciate it.**

 **Next chapter: Lula struggles in the wake of Jack's revelation. Also, Jack shares his news with the other boys.**


	10. The Other Girls

**CHAPTER TEN - The Other Girls**

"Congratulations..." is the first and only thing that Lula can softly and weakly manage to say in response to her husband's shocking announcement.

Then, as soon as she utters the only word she can muster up, she clutches at her stomach, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she quickly gets up and races out of the room, fleeing from her husband. She looks like she could be sick.

After Lula leaves, Jack stays sitting on their bed for nearly ten minutes longer. He just sits there, shuffling through his deck of cards nervously, thinking about how much his life has changed since he woke up this morning; just from discovering that he has a son.

As he pockets the cards, Jack slowly stands up and slinks out of the bedroom, well and truly after Lula had.

"Hey, is Lula okay?" Danny asks from where he is sitting at the breakfast bar of their hideout, pausing from typing furiously on his laptop. "About ten minutes ago she came out looking-"

Jack interrupts Danny, not wanting to hear anymore about the pain that he had caused; after having already seen it firsthand.

"Not at the moment she's not. I'll tell you why in a minute" Jack replies succinctly, before calling out to the other two boys in the house. Merritt turns the corner and enters the living area from where he'd been pouring himself a drink, glass in tow. Within moments, Dylan too comes down from his room to where he's been summoned, and immediately the FBI agent inundates the younger man with questions.

"Hey... When did you get back, Jack? How'd the meet up go? Who was it? What did they want?"

Taking a seat on the lounge in the centre of the room, Jack looks around at the three other men who surround him. He's briefly distracted by worrying where Lula has gotten to since she left their room, but he focuses on the task at hand for the time being, knowing that she probably needs space more than she needs him right now.

"Holly Thompson. That's who I met up with."

After Jack's statement, he is met with three vague looks in his direction, as if they're supposed to know something and as if that name is supposed to mean something to them.

"The details are all a bit hazy to me. I must have been about 19 when I met her at a bar years ago. Anyway, she wanted to meet up to let me know that we have a kid."

The other three weren't quite prepared for how quickly Jack's explanation escalated, their jaws dropping instantly.

Consequently, an eerily strange silence fills the room as three of the men sit there, gobsmacked, while Jack just looks around the room at the result of his revelation.

"A kid...? Hell dude, that's heavy."

Dylan is the first to speak up, as Merritt just stands there wide-eyed taking a big gulp of his whiskey. Danny is the next to chime in.

"How sure are you that it's yours?"

"Well, I can't say that I remember her specifically, but everything that she said checked out. I was in Florida at the time she claims it happened and she said I treated her exactly the way that I treated every girl before Lula. She had a photo of us from the night too. We looked pretty wasted..."

Taking another sip of liquid, Merritt finally looks a little less than shell-shocked, asking his first question since the bomb was dropped.

"Son or daughter?"

"Son... His name's Billie."

Dylan and the other two Horsemen nod silently once again, still not completely over the shock of their latest discovery.

"Okay. Even _if_ her story makes sense, you should still be DNA tested with him, regardless of how probable her story is. Something like this is too big to chance it."

There is a unanimous agreement in the room between the men who stay silent until all eyes fall on one girl as she enters the room.

"Ah, I think I have to make a phone call."

"Is that the time? I better get going."

"Yeah, I have that... _thing_."

After the flurry of excuses, Dylan, Danny and Merritt flee the room at the speed of light, leaving Jack and Lula at either end of the living area, eyes locked intently from one side of the room and the other.

There is so much _more_ than just a few metres standing between the couple.

The happily married newlyweds barely had a care in the world just this morning. Yet, now there is suddenly so much insecurity, so much discomfort, so much that needs to be said and so much that needs to be done.

Finally, Jack breaks through the invisible -but no less real- barriers that separate them from each other, walking over and reaching her on the other side of the room as he wraps his arms around her in a big, supportive, comforting hug.

The couple stays glued together in the hug for as long as they can, knowing that as soon as they separate, they will have to start facing the new reality that has been thrust in front of them.

"I'm so sorry, Lula" Jack whispers into her hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head just before the two finally begin to separate and pull apart from each other.

"What's his name? What's _your son's_ name? And hers?"

Lula asks, speaking clearly and slowly. It's like she needs to verbalise aloud to try and make it real for herself.

"Billie. His mother's name's Holly."

Lula flinches at her husband's words as though they literally sting her physically and not just emotionally.

"What is she like? How did you meet? Were you together for long? Was it serious?"

Looking down at Lula before he speaks, Jack notices the moisture that is welling and threatening to erupt from her reddened, tear-infested eyes. Before he has a chance to reply, she asks the final question that she wants to know more than any other.

" _Did you love her_?"

He grabs her hand from where it is hanging loosely beside her and he clutches it, squeezing her petite hand comfortingly first before he even tries to explain the situation.

"It was a fling... just a one-night-stand. I didn't _know_ her, let alone _love_ her. Honestly, I barely remember her. Apparently we met at a bar one night while I'd been travelling the country doing street magic, like a vagabond. I've told you -and _only_ you- what I was, regrettably, like with women in the past. I was awful. I stole their trust and their wallets, Holly was no different, but I just didn't expect to get something back in return..."

Jack doesn't know what he'd been expecting. Maybe he'd hoped that reassuring Lula of how different she was to all of the other girls she'd feel happy, she'd feel relieved. She'd suddenly uncover a big positive of their situation and things would almost be back to normal. But, it doesn't change a thing.

He looks down at her and he feels even worse for doing so. Lula looks pale, washed out, exhausted. And it's all because of him.

"Jack. Right now, I don't know what to think or how to feel. But, I do know that I want to meet them."

* * *

 **Thanks for hanging around, readers. I'm sorry that this chapter is up later than I had planned for it to be. I haven't been well and I've been busier than usual, so updates (well, editing) kept getting pushed back. I hope that the next installment will be up sooner for you all!**

 **It's not looking too flash for our babies at the moment, _but_ bear in mind that it  is a Jack and Lula romance fic... **

**Next chapter: Jack and Lula meet Billie _and_ Lula meets Holly. Will meeting Jack's instant family bring her peace or only more pain?**


	11. What You Have

**CHAPTER ELEVEN – What You Have**

Two weeks passed by and things hadn't really reverted back to any sort of normality for Jack and Lula.

Just yesterday, they had received the DNA test from Holly herself, the confirmation and paperwork that stated the words that Lula had hoped to never read, but the words that she can now never ignore...

' _Jack Wilder cannot be excluded as the biological father of the child - Billie Thompson. Using the results of the testing, the probability of paternity is 99.9999% when compared with the results of Jack Wilder and Holly Thompson_.'

With the confirmation that, yes, he is a father from a one-night fling, Jack felt an instant sense of duty. He knew that he would do and that he has to do the right thing by his child after being abandoned and shafted by this own father. He knew that he could never do the same thing to his own son.

So, while he might not yet love his son as completely as if Billie had been the result of his and Lula's love, he has enough love out of duty for his son to know that from this moment on he will always be there for his child; as best as he can be while in hiding.

#

The results of the DNA test led to the arrangements being made for Jack to meet his son and for Lula to meet both Holly and Billie who were suddenly orbiting into her and her husband's lives. They met at the same cafe that Jack and Holly had met up in over two weeks ago for a meeting which completely changed their lives.

With her hand being supportively held by Jack's, Lula can feel her weak stomach plummet again for the umpteenth time from the second that they walk into the cafe and then again as soon as she sees the other woman and the little boy that is half of her husband, who are sitting and waiting for them.

"Hi" Holly chirps brightly, standing up from where she is seated at the table for four with her son, getting up to wrap Jack in a hug.

The embrace churns Lula's stomach up even more so before she's distracted by Holly who then approaches her.

"Hi. I'm Holly, Billie's mother" she says far too sweetly, with a wave in Lula's direction. You know, just in case she isn't up to speed with the whole situation that's in the process of changing her life.

Lula replies with whatever comes out of her mouth at the time, but she is too distracted by taking in the woman in front of her and analysing the fact that _her husband_ had been given a _hug_ , while _she_ had been given a _wave_.

In this moment and as she watches the woman that they are meeting with, Lula can easily imagine her as being the busty blonde at a bar six years ago. The thought only expands Lula's disliking for the woman who she has already developed quite a strong, negative option of.

"Billie boy, there's someone that I want you to meet."

The little boy's attention is caught by his mother who he watches as Holly moves back over to Jack, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Billie, this is Jack... Jack's your dad."

As she watches where the woman's hands end up and as she listens to the woman's words, Lula's stomach plummets once again and she feels like she could just about be sick. She quickly excuses herself quietly, racing off to the door in the corner of the cafe that leads to the bathrooms.

Jack is momentarily distracted, worriedly watching as his wife flees, but knowing he can't do anything about it so he turns his attention to the little boy in front of him.

"Hi buddy" Jack says with a smile as he crouches down to the five-year-olds eye level. He doesn't know how to act around kids exactly, but he can't imagine that looking up at them like giants is the most reassuring thing.

Jack smiles to the little boy, holding his hand out to exchange in a hand shake. After looking to his mother for permission as she just nods at him, Billie slowly puts his little hand in Jack's and the two share a weak handshake as Billie basically just jerks his hand around from within Jack's.

After the handshake, Jack tries to show an interest in Billie, asking the shy little boy about his favourite toys, his favourite animal, what he likes to play with and so on as the little boy slowly begins to warm up to his father.

After fifteen minutes or so, when Lula re-enters the room, she walks in to see Holly fawning over Jack and Billie, appearing to do absolutely _anything_ to make sure that the boys connect favourably and bond well, in a completely overzealous and over the top manner.

"Look at the colour of his shirt, Billie! It's grey! That's your favourite colour!"

Identical looking smiles erupt on both boys faces at the statement as Billie continues giggling, pointing at Jack's shirt.

Lula realises that from the moment that they had arrived at the cafe, she's been feeling like the third, no, fourth wheel. She feels like an outside looking in as she watches the trio, painfully.

The second that Jack notices his wife emerging from the bathrooms that she had fled to, he makes eye contact, shooting her a sympathetic look and gesturing to the spare seat next to him from where he is now seated at the table.

As she slowly approaches the parents and their son, she insecurely takes a seat besides Jack as he quickly and comfortingly grabs her hand, giving it a squeeze of support and encouragement before introducing her to his son.

"Hey Billie, this is Lula. I'm married to Lula so she's going to get to spend lots of time with us, too."

He doesn't know how much of that the child will understand, but _really_ he is saying it more for Lula's sake than Billie's.

Lula gives the little boy a small wave and a smile that she has to force, given the way that she's feeling at the moment.

"Hi Billie... How old are you?"

"I'm five" the young boy says in response as he holds up his open hand, gesturing his age to her also.

Focusing on the little boy in front of her, Lula's confidence grows a little as she starts firing trivial questions at him like Jack had minutes earlier, with Billie enjoying answering the different about himself.

Shooting a glance in Jack's direction briefly, she sees his appreciative smile as he watches her and Billie talking.

He quickly mouths the words: " _thank you_ " to her as she reciprocates his smile.

Maybe she _can_ do this...

#

A little later on, the four of them have progressed from the cafe to a nearby park where Jack and Billie are now sitting on a bench together. The little boy's eyes are locked on the cards in his father's hand.

Jack had just been showing him some basic flourishes and sleight of hand card tricks which Billie found completely fascinating, watching his father's hands work the cards with a wide-open mouth.

Then, from where they are watching the boys just a few metres away, Lula and Holly have uncomfortably been trying to make small talk and conversation with each other.

The entire time that the two women have been feebly attempting to talk, Lula has been struck by _just_ how different they are.

From the bits and pieces they've talked about, they haven't really been able to find common ground and relate to each other's personalities. Then, there's their physical attributes. Holly is almost the polar opposite of Lula. Her long blonde hair to Lula's dark brown locks, Holly's tanned skin in comparison to her frosty pale complexion and while Lula is as thin as pin, Holly is far more curvaceous and busty.

... Honestly, it is hard to imagine how the two very different women had attracted the same man.

"I still can't believe Jack's married. I'm surprised since he never seemed like the kind of guy to settle down. Not the Jack that I knew, anyway..."

Lula doesn't quite know what to say to her comment. She can't tell if she is impressed by the fact that he has settled down with Lula, or whether she is challenging her and what she thought she knew about her husband. Regardless, Lula has no idea how to answer that, so she changes the course of the conversation instead.

"Billie is a really sweet kid, Holly. You should be proud" Lula says conversationally as both women watch the boys interact.

Jack has now handed the deck of cards over to the younger boy as he attempts to teach the five-year-old just how to shuffle the pack before he'll move onto more advanced tricks.

"Thanks Lula. I'm so glad that Jack can be a part of Billie's life from here on."

Lula looks over to Holly from where they stand beside each other. She watches her looking at the boys playing, with a look of love as Jack teaches his son tricks.

It stings.

It stings Lula to the core.

She is jealous of Holly and what she has; a son, with Jack... _her_ Jack.

It just _hurts_ , plain and simple.

#

Later that day, after Jack and Lula said their goodbyes to Holly and Billie and after they finally reached the share house, the second that they enter the house, Jack wraps his arms around his wife and gently pulls her into him.

With no space remaining between their bodies, Jack's hands move up, cupping her chin and guiding their heads together where their foreheads press to each other's.

"I love you so, so much, Lula. I can't imagine how hard today must have been for you."

Lovingly, Jack guides their faces once again, their lips meeting each others in an intense, passionate kiss.

As soon as the kiss breaks apart and the couple separate, Jack notices the tears that have begun to fill her eyes.

"Lula?" he says with concern, his face softening with worry.

But instead of giving him a response, Lula quickly walks off from where they have been standing together. She rushes to the bathroom, locks the door, keeping Jack out as she runs herself a bath and just allows herself to crumble after keeping herself together all day.

All the discomfort of the situation... all the awkwardness at watching Holly's monopoly in the situation... all the jealousy of Holly having a son with her husband...

But, most of all the immense pain of watching her husband with his son from someone other than _her_...

... It's killing her.

 _All_ of it.

* * *

 **Next chapter: Lula struggles as Jack receives another piece of shocking news. **


	12. Nowhere to Run, No One to Blame

**CHAPTER TWELVE – Nowhere to Run, No One to Blame**

A few days passed after Jack and Lula's meeting with his son and the mother of his child.

One morning, mid-conversation with the boys, Lula had announced that she was not feeling well and that she was going to go and have a lie down. At the time, all three boys looked intently at Jack as to whether or not he would be following her, following up with how she is coping, or in this case, _not_ coping.

Jack and Lula's three housemates that share a house with the young couple all view the only female occupant as a little sister. The other boys always have her back and they're always ready to protect her. They had been on especially high-alert lately, seeing as they know just how much the introduction of Billie to Jack and Lula's lives has impacted _her_.

With three pairs of eyes staring at him after Lula had left the room, Jack explains his intentions and the fact that he's worried following after her _immediately_ will only make things worse.

"I'll just give her a minute. I think she's after space. I'll check on her soon."

Dylan, Danny and Merritt share a silent look, wordlessly agreeing that their friend's husband and fellow Horsemen is doing the right thing; they approve.

Barely twenty minutes after Lula's departure, Jack too gets up from his seat and leaves the lounge room, on en-route to his bedroom.

"Lula?" Jack whispers into his shared bedroom where Lula is lying on her side of their bed, with her back facing away from the door.

Jack knows that his wife is a very heavy sleeper so his whisper won't be enough to wake her up if she is already asleep but it will help him to determine whether she's awake or not.

"Yeah" Lula replies quietly. She hasn't slept at all, but she feels a little groggy from just lying there in one spot for so long.

From where he is standing in the doorway of their bedroom, Jack slowly moves away from beneath the door-frame, closing the door behind him before crawling onto their bed and mirroring his wife's current position.

Lying on his side too, Jack shuffles closer to Lula and presses his front to her back, spooning her. Their bodies slide together effortlessly, like two pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly in place.

To reciprocate and acknowledge his presence and embrace towards her, Lula leans her arm back as she reaches out to grab any part of her husband's body, ending up with her hand on his bicep, to wordlessly affirm that she wants him there beside her.

"Are you alright, babe?" Jack asks softly, pressing a tender kiss to her temple.

Just lately, Lula has mentioned she's felt unwell quite a number of times which is unusual for her.

"I'm okay... I just still feel sick to my stomach _all_ the time. As sweet as he is, it's like ever since I found out about Billie, I just have this feeling I can't seem to shake."

Jack lets out a deep sigh. He can't help but blame himself for Lula's state. He can't blame _her_ for feeling that way, knowing that _he_ would feel the very same way with all the jealousy, anxiety and discomfort if the shoe was on the other foot and if _he_ was only just now learning of Lula sharing a child with another man.

"That's not 'okay'... Can I do anything to help you?" he responds, shifting himself so he's sitting a little more upright, still with his arms clutching her body in front of his as he presses a kiss to her dark locks, stroking her hair with his free hand.

In answer to his question, she just shakes her head and clutches his arm a little tighter.

"I am **so** sorry, Lula. I am so sorry that you have had to go through all of this and I'm sorry for everything I've put you through lately."

"Thank you, but it's not your fault, Jack."

Jack sighs at Lula's comment. She's right. It's **not** his fault. But, even more so, it's not _her_ fault. It's no one's fault, yet it somehow makes himself feel better by blaming himself for her pain and her suffering.

"... It's really _not_ your fault... You can't be held accountable for the repercussions of a harmless decision that you were free to make six years ago" she says trying to reassure her husband, when just minutes earlier he'd been the one comforting her.

Even though there's no one to blame, it doesn't make it any easier. It's just **awful**. It's an awful situation that is challenging on them both as Jack is forced to struggle with sudden parenthood, while she is forced to deal with the fact that his child is not hers.

There's no-one to blame and there's nothing that can be done to mend the situation, beyond hoping that it will all get easier or, at least, a little less difficult over time...

#

Just a few days later, Jack walks into the kitchen where Dylan and Danny are whispering closely in hushed voices. After realising that he's interrupting something private, Jack immediately spins on the ball of his foot to turn around and walk straight back out again, before he is stopped on the spot.

"Jack... Just the man we want. Can we have a word? You might wanna grab Lula, too."

Jack looks at the two men strangely before calling out for Lula, telling her to come and join their little meeting in the kitchen.

It's only after both halves of the couple have joined them, when Dylan finally begins to explain the hushed conversation and why they had been summoned.

"Jack. There's something you need to know" Dylan states mysteriously. In his eyes he's trying to slowly work the younger man up towards the additional news he has for him.

The sleight-of-hand groans, as his wife looks at the agent curiously, waiting for what is going to come next.

"Oh man... What have I done this time? Last time you said that led to me finding out I have a kid."

Danny's eyebrows rise in interest at Jack's comment as he and Dylan share a knowing look before the explanation continues.

"Jack, with that whole Billie thing, Danny and I have been talking about it. We felt like something was fishy and we wanted to be _sure_ of a few things _before_ you became attached and _before_ you sold your soul to provide for this kid. Not to mention, before putting Lula through all this with you... Anyway, Danny did some _research_ and we accessed some medical files..."

"By 'research' you mean 'hacking', right?"

Jack cuts into Dylan's explanation, using humour to deflect from his nerves as he waits to hear for what is coming next.

"Perhaps, but that's not important. Anyway, we found your medical records, Holly's and Billie's. In short, you have O+ blood, Holly has O- blood and Billie has A-."

" _Okay_? I'll get back to you when I have my medical degree... _so what_ about it?"

Jacks response is just as sarcastic as his previous one, although the confusion on his face calls his bluff. Dylan and Danny share a look to confirm who's going to finish the explanation as Lula continues hanging onto every word of the two men.

"It's impossible for Billie to be your son, Jack."

Jack's eyes widen in shock as Lula's mouth drops open.

"We thought _maybe_ , there could have been a mistake at some point. You know, a wrong letter typed on a computer or something, so we collected some DNA samples-" Danny adds before Jack interjects once again with his own commentary.

"And I don't even want to know _how_ you did that..."

Honestly, it hadn't been that hard. All the time hiding out meant that Dylan has had time to occasionally work on and finesse his lock-picking skills after Jack had taught him the basics about eighteen months back. With this skill, it really wasn't that hard to walk in, swap two toothbrushes with brand new ones and leave again, and it was even easier to swap Jack's toothbrush from the bathroom upstairs.

"We sent the DNA off and got the results back today. It only confirmed what we thought... Holly must have either tampered with the samples or doctored the results. Either way, it was fudged. Billie _isn't_ your son, Jack."

Lula looks like the weight of the world that she didn't know she'd been carrying has suddenly been lifted off of her shoulders; with her dream that she never imagined _could_ ever come true suddenly being fulfilled.

Meanwhile, Jack just nods blankly, trying to _un_ wrap his head around the news that he has only _just_ managed to grasp in the first place, only to learn it was all a lie...

#

Immediately after the intervention, an unhappy Jack made one phone call demanding answers in response to the news from his friends, resulting in Holly pleading to meet up with him, to be able to explain herself and to offer him the truth.

"So, enlighten me. Why'd you do it?" Jack asks the second that the blonde he's waiting for comes into sight. His arms are crossed in front of himself and he wears an expression displaying the fact that he is anything _but_ impressed with Holly who approaches him.

The woman in front of him is substantially less bold and less confident than she has been at every previous meetings, now that the tables have been turned and now that she's been exposed.

"Listen, first of all, let me just say that I am sorry. I always thought that there was about an 80% chance that Billie was yours, but I just never mentioned the 20% that he might not have been."

"Well why on earth did you manipulate the results then? Why weren't you honest? And why didn't you mention that 20% chance _before_ you introduced me to him as his dad?!"

Jack is getting more worked up and angry with all the time that he spends thinking about it and thinking about all the lies that she hadn't fed only to him.

"I'm sorry. It might not seem like it, but I had good intentions. All along, I thought that the chance was far greater that you were the father, but I just made sure that the results fudged so that you were, either way."

With his arms crossed in front of him, Jack is still seeing red, like a blazing bull.

"You still haven't said **why** you did it."

"I know you must be angry with me, I don't blame you... But, I was trying to do the right thing for Billie. Listen, the other contender, the other 20% chance was my ex. I would have been more honest about it, but he passed away about six months after we broke up. He OD'd while I was still pregnant... So, I knew that _you_ were Billie's only chance to have a father."

Hearing the explanation, he never, ever thought that he could understand why Holly had done this and how she could have justified lying to her son. But, suddenly, thinking about that little five-year-old boy who is going to go through life without a father, Jack understands; he sympathises. He _knows_ what it's like to not have a father and to be quite honest; he can understand shielding a child from that void.

While his and Lula's life will undoubtedly go back to normal, there's no chance in the world that that little boy will have the void of his real father filled...

* * *

 **So, that chapter turns things around quite a bit! Did anyone see that coming? Does anyone agree with Holly and what she did for the sake of her son?**

 **Next chapter: There's another twist around the corner for Jack and Lula...**


	13. The Foal

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN – The Foal**

After the revelation of the fudged DNA test and after it was determined that Billie was not in fact Jack's son, life had barely returned to normal for Jack and Lula before getting turned upside down, all over again.

When things slowly started to begin settling down, one thing that did _not_ was Lula.

She was the iron stomach of the group. When they'd stayed in Cape Town for just a few weeks at one point, all four boys had been struck down with plagues of nausea and gastro, while Lula didn't suffer in the slightest. This is why when Lula kept complaining of a weak stomach and waves of nausea, the boys joined forces to stage an intervention, forcing her to make a doctor's appointment. She was so far from impressed by the intervention that she didn't even allow Jack to join her for the appointment that she had stubbornly stormed off to, all the while insisting that absolutely nothing was wrong with her.

After his wife had stormed off alone earlier that day, Jack stayed waiting in the lounge room of the share house in the closest room to the front door so that he can know and be put out of his misery as soon as she walks in.

Hearing the small tings of keys in the front door, Jack's focus is snatched away from his iPad that he's been using to browse the internet, watch YouTube videos and play games on as he waited.

He watches Lula as she walks in the front door and she certainly doesn't look like nothing's wrong. His wife looks pale, shocked. There's no rejoicing and bragging that she was right while all the others had been wrong. Jack is instantly concerned.

"Lula?" he asks jumping up from his spot on the lounge, dropping his tablet on the couch to be at her side within seconds. "Is everything alright?"

She wordlessly snatches up his hand. The fact that she doesn't answer him, confirming that ' _yes, everything's fine'_ , does absolutely nothing for his worries as she drags them into the privacy of their bedroom with a closed door between them and the rest of the household.

"Lula? Talk to me, babe. What'd the doctor say?" Jack says with urgency in his voice as his mind and imagination runs faster than her words do, all the while jumping to conclusions for the worst.

"They ran some tests... The doctor found something. It's serious, Jack."

Jack's face pales instantly. He cannot remember the last time he felt as terrified as he does in this moment. His mind immediately thinks the worst and he wraps Lula in the tightest hug, wanting to protect them both from whatever she has to tell him next.

She begins to wriggle out from his grasp and as they separate, Lula retrieves something from her pocket which she passes to her fearful husband.

"What's _this_?" Jack asks as he examines the image that she has just handed to him.

He knows what he _thinks_ 'this' is. He knows that the photo in his hand has a clear resemblance to an ultrasound image. However, despite his predictions, Jack's brow furrows slightly as he focuses on trying to avoid jumping to conclusions until he has confirmation, one way or another.

"That right there is called an _embryo_ , Jack."

"You're pregnant?" Jack confirms, his eyes are wide and eager but he is holding himself back a little to make sure he hasn't taken the wrong end of the stick before he runs with it.

However, a simple nod from Lula is all it takes to elicit the reaction from Jack. The look on his face brings the biggest of grins to Lula's own face.

"I'm not that far along... I'm only six and a half weeks. But, with everything that's been going on in our life lately, I mustn't have realised that I'd skipped a period."

Jack just stands there speechless for a moment, although his wide, bright eyes are a gateway for Lula to be able to tell how her husband is feeling. Then, suddenly, springing to action, Jack wraps his arms around his wife in an elated embrace as his feeling's become a whole lot clearer to Lula too.

After their initial embrace -the massive hug that Jack envelops Lula in-, he increases his grip and grasp on her a little and just enough to be able to lift her off the floor and into his arms as he twirls himself and the petite brunette who squeals at the unexpected manoeuvre.

After twirling the two of them around in an approximate circle, Jack places Lula back down on solid ground before once again swooping her in a passionate kiss. As the couple eventually pull away from each other, their foreheads remain touching, keeping them connected. Lula places one hand on the side of his face lovingly as they gaze into each other's eyes completely joyful and completely in love.

"Happy?" Lula asks somewhat sarcastically, knowing that the big grin hasn't been wiped off of his face since she shared their news with him just minutes earlier. Yet, in that time, that news has managed to change their life completely.

"Of course... You're having a baby."

Light fills Lula's face at the reassurance of how happy her husband is, how happy _they_ are.

Once upon a time, motherhood concerned Lula. As much as she would have liked to have a child, one day, she couldn't help but worry that she would be set to follow the same course and patterns that her mother had set. But, now that that time has arrived with Jack, she can't help but be happy. She knows that she'll be alright, that **they** will be alright with her determination to learn from her mother's mistakes and keep her on the opposite course.

"Actually, _we're_ having a baby, Jack..."

Once again, two delighted smiles spread across the lips of both halves of the couple as they close the gap between them for another round of celebrations.

#

Jack and Lula had determined that they would try to keep the news between themselves for as long as they could or at least until they reached the safer zone. She was still very early into her pregnancy and the risk of a miscarriage was higher until she reached 12 weeks; another agonising five and a half weeks away.

Within the first week of finding out, both Jack and Lula had almost spilled the beans on multiple occasions. Consequently, the other two Horsemen -along with Dylan- are onto them. Merritt and Danny especially had made it their lives mission to probe the couple and to find who would fold first, lifting the lid on whatever they are _trying_ to hide, failing at doing so miserably.

After both Jack and Lula had nearly blurted the 'B' word accidentally, they'd developed a code word for the baby – _corn_ , while _corn on the cob_ stands for pregnancy.

"Ugh. I feel sick from the _corn_ again today."

"I'm going out. Do you need me to pick up anything for your _corn on the cob_?"

It was surprising how well the corn/corn on a cob worked as an operative word, only confusing the other boys about the couple's sudden fixation on corn.

However, after quite a few close shaves, it is only during a movie night when the couple are cuddled up on the couch they are sharing, when the cat comes out of the bag, without either of them saying a single word.

Lula is now nearly nine weeks along now and they are getting closer and closer to their deadline when they'd finally be able to share their news with more confidence.

Just lately, Jack has fallen into the habit of placing a hand on her stomach where _they_ know their child is growing, although it's unnoticeable to anyone else as of yet, when they're cuddling or when they're trying to sleep. So when his hand subconsciously ends up on the same place as it had been before they got out of bed this morning, neither of them really notice.

However, looking over to the couple, Danny takes note of the small detail, quietly nudging Merritt to silently draw his attention to the same thing. They take note of where Jack's hand is placed lovingly on Lula's abdomen, his fingertips gently brushing back and forth. Merritt then kicks Dylan in the leg to convey the same message that Danny had notified him of silently seconds earlier.

By this point, everyone is aware that Jack and Lula's secret is out, _except_ for Jack and Lula themselves.

"Is there something that you kids want to tell us?"

Jack and Lula share a look, looking like a pair of deer caught in the headlights before she whacks his hand off with a slap.

"Uh _**no**_..." Lula tries to debate convincingly, consequently just sounding forced as guilt seeps through her words and expression tellingly.

Meanwhile, Jack tries to keep his expression blank, but he can barely hide the smirk that's fighting its way through his lip that he's biting. He knows they are completely screwed.

"It's a foal! _Get it?!_ The two Horsemen are having a _foal_!" Merritt exclaims with a laugh at his own joke.

By this point, they are way too far gone to come back from. Their secret, their baby, is well and truly out of the bag.

The movie is paused and there's a bustle of congratulations, hugs, man-hugs and handshakes for the expectant couple from their three closest friends.

"That kid is going to come out wearing black leather, you mark my words" Danny predicts, causing a ripple of laughter among the group, in reference to both Jack and Lula's signature looks.

"Congrats you dirty dogs" Merritt congratulates jovially -nothing to do with the fact that he's on his fourth drink for the evening- as he and Lula separate from the celebratory hug that he'd wrapped the woman he views as a younger sister in.

"What can I say?" Jack begins to respond, the biggest of smirks beginning to spread across his face. "Cards aren't the _only_ thing that I can aim..."

Lula simply rolls her eyes at her husband's comment. She is completely unimpressed, but completely unsurprised.

"Oh help me. I really hate to think how long you've been waiting to use that line..." she responds to Jack's comment which had earned him immature chuckles from the other boys, but only proves how well she knows him when he hesitates to divulge exactly _when_ he thought up that line.

Instead, Jack just smiles and wraps an arm around her waist as he presses a kiss to her cheek charmingly to smooth over any trouble he may have nearly got himself in with his last comment.

"Aw, you love me... and our _foal_."

* * *

 **Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story. Big thanks to 'TheIndividualist', 'Americanwallflower' and Guest for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Next chapter: Slightly fluffier one. What do dentists and celery have in common with Jack? And, the restless Horsemen try to kill time with daily challenges!**


	14. Game On

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN – Game On**

Now that Jack and Lula's secret is out and the fellow Horsemen know about the baby it has made for a much more comfortable environment. The couple no longer have to watch their every word, while their housemates try and work out what it is they're hiding so badly.

Fortunately, the boys working out their secret came right on time since as soon as Lula hit the ten week mark, she began getting terrible morning sickness that has lasted all day, every day, for the last month.

As soon as she Lula feels the initial surge of nausea for the first time in the day, there is no going back to bed and no getting anymore sleep for either of them.

This is why one morning, both she and Jack are already up and on the lounge together before it has even reached six. The newlyweds are sprawled out on the communal lounge; Jack sitting upright with Lula's head resting in his lap from where she's lying down and draped length-ways across the lounge.

Jack always feels pretty useless at trying to help his wife to feel better, but he continues trying each day. This is why he's letting her sprawl out over him, with her head in his lap as he strokes her hair lovingly.

However, this morning, Lula is a lethal cocktail of feeling grumpy, sick _and_ tired, so poor Jack is copping it, big time. Currently, she is distracting herself by listing off things that she hates as much as she hates him in the present moment.

"Terrorists... Dentists... Road works... Walter Mabry... Sharks... Celery... Waiting for a TV show to return after a season finale cliff-hanger..."

Merritt McKinney walks into the room with glassy, squinted eyes and a scrunched up face that gives away the hangover that's lingering within him. Even _with_ his mental capabilities, Merritt has no clue about what connection there is between the string of words that Lula has just listed.

"Uh... okay? Has she been baby-brained already? What the hell is she on about? For a second there, I wasn't sure if it was Lula or my hangover talking."

"I can hear you, McKinney..."

After the unwell and unhappy pregnant woman makes the warning from where she's resting on her husband's lap, she shoots the mentalist an unimpressed glare before continuing to speak.

"If you _must_ know, I'm thoughtfully listing off all the things that I hate as much as I hate Jack at the moment."

Despite Lula's attitude towards him in her nauseous state this morning, Jack doesn't take it personally and he doesn't hold a grudge, only continuing to try and stroke the mother of his child's hair comfortingly. After all, Jack knows that his already feisty wife's hormones have been all over the shop and while during the day, she may be claiming she wants a divorce, by the evening she will be in tears, apologising for and recalling every awful thing she has ever said or done to him over the last three years.

"Ooh, brilliant! Can I join in? I think that I have quite a number of useful suggestions and contributions that I would also like to pitch on this very topic" Merritt responds with a look of thrill. His face suddenly brightens up as he claps his hands together excitably.

Jack simply rolls his eyes in response to Merritt's question. He can take it from Lula, but Merritt is a different story.

"Sure. When you're pregnant with my kid and can't think straight from morning sickness, then sure, _go right ahead_."

The mentalist chuckles to himself a little, all the while knowing that the younger man would never let his retort slide.

"You're no fun, Jackie. No fun at all..."

#

The following day, poor Lula's morning sickness is no better and no less acute. However, as she lays there on the couch almost identically to the way she had yesterday, she's kept distracted by the daily challenge.

A few months ago, the Horsemen had introduced a 'daily challenge'; a concept born from pure boredom. Each person takes turns to set the challenge for the day. At the end of the month, whoever has the most daily challenges is crowned the 'Champion of the Month' and is able to redeem a favour from each of the others at some point throughout the following month.

The challenges themselves range from only stepping within the tiles around the house -not touching any lines-, not calling each other by their names or the challenge that they can only consume their food through a straw. So, while the daily challenges are always pretty tame, it is just what the housebound Horsemen needed to mix up their day-to-day lives.

Today's daily challenge is that no one can say the letter 'A', a challenge set by Jack.

Within the first twenty minutes, Merritt was out of the challenge for forgetting that the word 'croissant' contained an 'a'. He tried to dispute that the letter 'a' was _silent_ in his version of the word 'croissant' that he had just said, but despite his best efforts, he is out of the daily challenge for today. However, since he is out of today's challenge, Merritt has since turned his attention to trying to sabotage his fellow housemates.

"So, _Lula_ , what names are you and Jack thinking about for bubs?" Merritt asks conversationally, hoping that at least one name will contain the letter 'A' in it somewhere.

Lula knows _exactly_ what the mentalist is trying to do, but she avoids falling into his trap, without skipping a beat.

"Well, mostly Ellie, Sophie, Emily -or- Ben, Jude or Eli."

Jack shoots her a strange look. He has no idea how all the non-A bearing names she's fired out have come to her mind so quickly. He figures that his wife is playing along with Merritt's game, but he knows that not one of those names has even been _mentioned_ in their brief conversations about baby names, let alone being considered seriously.

"Nice..." Merritt replies complacently, trying to play it cool after his failed attempt to sabotage Lula, moving onto his next target. "Jaaaaaack. My main man! Baby names – what about you? Wouldn't you rather something with a bit of tradition? Can you think of any names like you and Lula's? Hm. Any ideas...?"

Turning his attention to the other Horseman, Jack is just as quick as his wife to catch onto the fact that he is being baited to try and suggest names like 'Jackson' or 'Lola'. However, he is not as quick as Lula to be able to suggest alternate 'safe' names that don't contain the letter 'A', so he just shuts Merritt down instead.

"Get stuffed, McKinney."

"Well that's not very nice young man... Hey, Danny, I'm having a mental blank. What was that place in China that we landed in called again? M-?... nope, it's slipped my mind. I can't think of it."

Merritt's attempt just earns himself an intense, silent glare from Atlas who knows _perfectly_ well that the mentalist not only knows the answer to his own question, but he also knows that the answer, _Macau_ , contains the letter 'A'.

After Danny's warning glare, Merritt quietens down and takes a break from trying to sabotage his friends as everyone goes back to doing their own thing. Merritt turns to a drink, Danny turns to his laptop and Jack and Lula turn to each other.

Very quickly Jack and Lula are all over each other on the lounge, their lips locked with each others. Then, when Lula eventually pulls away, she softly whispers to her husband, returning to the topic of baby names that had come up earlier today as she nuzzles his neck.

"Hey, hun... Seriously, how 'bout Glenys for bubs...? Your thoughts?"

"Lula!" Jack instantly exclaims, speaking first and thinking later as he realises that he's lost the daily challenge, with a groan.

She had _hoped_ his reaction would incite some sort of 'what?', 'really?', 'are you feeling okay?' reaction, knowing her husband's disliking of the name since they'd had a whole discussion about that particular name, before she was even pregnant.

"Ha! He's out!" Lula exclaims with a fist-pump, spending about as much time thinking before she speaks as Jack just had just done seconds ago.

"... And so are _you_."

Lula's trap for her husband had ended up catching her too; getting herself out from successfully sabotaging Jack.

So, seeing as Dylan isn't home to compete in today's cut-throat round today, the crown for the daily challenge automatically goes to Danny.

* * *

 **Hope you liked that chapter! It was a bit lighter and fluffier to balance out all the drama in this story so far. Thank you to everyone who has commented on the last chapter and continued to follow this story. Thank you!**

 **Next chapter: Jack  & Lula play an immature little game of tit-for-tat on a night out. **


	15. Tit For Tat

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN – Tit For Tat**

Later on that day, the four Horsemen were treated with Dylan permitting them to leave the house for a night out. Dylan announced that things had been going well enough and there had been no-one on their tail for long enough so they could enjoy just one night out and about as they please. In some of their previous locations and hideouts, the group had been able to experience relative freedom, such as when living in Rome and Australia. After all, their faces were nowhere near as familiar. They could come and go as they pleased, just needing to take extra precautions to stay safe.

However, as soon as the announcement was made, Jack and Lula instantly began to plan out a date night together, while Merritt got to work with planning a much more wild night out... Until Dylan added the condition that they could all have a night out, _as long as they all stayed together_. With this proviso in place, the group puts their plans for the evening to a vote and it had been quickly decided that they will head out to a local club for the evening; much to pregnant Lula's annoyance and disgust.

#

As the four Horsemen walk together, they are headed for the popular nightclub that is located just a block away from their current share-house hide out.

"You boys are so MEAN!" Lula complains shaking Jack's arm for emphasis, making sure that he doesn't miss her comment, as the group walks along the footpath together.

Danny and Merritt are walking either side of Jack and Lula as the married couple walk together, holding each other's hands.

"Taking a pregnant woman to a bar is like putting a vegetarian in a butcher! It's a disgrace! Enjoy your disgraceful drinks tonight!"

Listening to the woman of the group as she complains, Merritt chuckles, Danny rolls his eyes and Jack just ignores his wife having spent all day hearing about what a 'disgrace' the outing is.

As the group approaches the source of the pulsating beats and blasting music, they wait in line, before the two youngest of the group have their ID checked to ensure they're over 21. This presents Lula with an opportunity to whinge to the security guards which she certainly doesn't let pass her by.

"Don't worry, I'm _definitely_ over 21, but I _definitely_ won't be drinking anyway..." she grumbles as she shows her fake drivers license.

As the group slowly trickles into the club, searching for four free seats, Jack and Lula instantly become aware of the same thing... They both notice all the looks in his direction and all of the attention that Jack is the recipient of.

"I've got to let you grow a beer-belly or something to make you even _remotely_ less attractive..." Lula whispers to her husband, using humour to disguise her insecurity.

Consequently, in response to the unwanted attention he's receiving, Jack increases their touch from a hand hold as he wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her body as close as she can be to his as they walk through the club together, following behind Danny and Merritt.

In one of the far corners of the room, not too far from the bar, the group of four settle and take their seats. Merritt offers to get the first round of drinks, including the greatest mocktail in the world for Lula, as she looks around the room distractedly.

"I tell you, you have a lot to answer for, Jack-frigging-Wilder. You knock a girl up, take her to a bar where she can't touch a drink _because_ she's knocked up, stuck at a bar getting to watch every other woman in the room eye her husband off, completely soberly."

Consequently, with a disappointed sigh just as Merritt re-approaches the group carrying the three shots and a over-the-top mocktail on a tray, Jack announces that he'll take one for the team and stay alcohol-free with his wife.

"Fine... I'll stay sober with you tonight, Lula. I guess it seems only fair."

"Welcome to the club, babe. We'll unhappily rock lemonades together."

Lula's face lights up, as though she's just won a non-existent competition as she shifts in her seat, leaning over to give Jack a kiss; his prize.

However, while the couple are distracted with each other, neither of them notices as the bearer of the hat whispers to their other friend.

"Danny, I'll bet you $20 that Jack won't stick to it."

The mentalist's fellow illusionist friend nods at the bet and they quickly shake on it, all before the couple have pulled apart from their kiss...

#

Over the next half an hour, Merritt notes the look of longing on the younger man's face as he watches every shot and every pint that his friend's consume. Then, it's as Lula is mid-conversation with Danny in a debate between stubborn and stubborner, when Merritt seizes the moment and shifts slightly in his seat, shifting towards Jack.

"Go on. Take a shot. The one we ordered you before your pledge of abstinence is still sitting there, shockingly enough. She's arguing, she won't notice."

Jack warily looks over to Merritt after his encouragement before looking over to his wife who is still very passionately mid-conversation. Merritt gives him another nod of confirmation, to reassure him of his initial reasoning. Then, just as warily, Jack gives in to temptation and downs the single shot. After all, Lula was right. It's so _wrong_ to go to a club without having a drink.

"Ha! Show me the money, Danny boy!" Merritt exclaims, interrupting he and Lula's debate.

Lula rolls her eyes before asking what the bet was on this time. It's nearly impossible to keep up with all the different bets that every person has running at any one time.

"You might want to ask your hubby that question..."

Instantly, Lula looks to Jack and then to the empty shot-glass that had been full just moments ago. Her expression _instantly_ conveys her annoyance at him. So, she stands up, excuses herself from the other boys and makes her way over to her own table, every aspect of her body language warning Jack _not_ to follow her.

"Why stop there, now that you're in the dog house anyway?" Merritt encourages as he offers Jack another glass of whatever alcohol the other boys are onto now.

Jack just shakes his head. "Nah, it's not worth it, man."

Meanwhile, within seconds of taking her seat on her own on the opposite side of the room where she's still in view of the boy's table, Lula is approached by an man who would only be a year or two older than herself but would give Chris Hemsworth a run for his money.

"Are you sure you don't want to rethink that drink, Jack?" Danny teases upon noticing Lula's company across the room.

Jack follows Danny's gaze across the room, following where it leads to his wife as she speaks with the other man. Merritt grabs Jack before he has a chance to storm over to them, knowing that it'll only do more harm than good. So, poor Jack is stuck stressing out of his mind wondering what words the stranger is exchanging with his wife...

"Hi... Can I get you a drink? I'm Brad."

"Hi Brad, I'm Lula. Thanks for the offer, but I won't lead you on. My husband's sitting over there, but he's just in the bad books at the moment."

As she points him out across the room, both Lula and Brad look in the direction of Jack who is still being discreetly held back and restrained by Merritt.

"Ah. No worries, I see. Won't mess with him... What did he do to get himself in trouble?"

"He took his pregnant wife to a bar because our friends wanted to."

Brad nods with understanding, glancing over at the table where the other three boys are seated and where Jack is glaring at him furiously.

"If you like, I can slip you my number for you to go back and brag about; teach him a lesson."

Lula's lips erupt into a wicked smile, loving the idea as much as she loves the chance to cause a bit of a stir.

"I think that's an excellent idea. You're cunning is _fantastic_ , thank you."

Brad and Lula share a smile as he picks up a paper coaster while Lula hands him her berry-red lipstick to use to scrawl his digits onto. Then, handing her the coaster, the two share a hug for extra measure before parting ways.

"It was good chatting with you, Brad. Thanks again."

Lula struts back over to the table that she had left minutes earlier with an undeniable smirk. When Merritt releases his grip on Jack, the younger man is instantly by his wife's side.

"Lula?! Who the hell is that?! What were you talking about? Was he coming onto you?!"

"That's my mate, Brad. We're tight" Lula says, before flashing Jack the coaster that is covered in lipstick numbers. "Check it out. I didn't even need a drink to start getting guys numbers."

As Jack examines the coaster unhappily, Lula distracts him with a kiss.

" _Now_ I think that we can call this outing even, babe."

* * *

 **I'm so sorry that this isn't up sooner! I've been crazy busy and just haven't been on FF much. But, I hope you liked the chapter nonetheless. Another fluffier one today.**

 **Thanks for reading! Don't forget to let me know what you thought.**

 **Next chapter: As Lula's pregnancy progresses, everyone lays their bets on Baby Wilder's gender. **


End file.
